Xavi writes that he was 20 when a Barcelona youth coach first told him about an Argentine teenager joining the academy. The coach said he had never seen anything like him, though Xavi was skeptical until clips on the club's in-house channel showed Messi dribbling past multiple defenders and rounding goalkeepers.
In 2004, that same coach sent Xavi a message that the Argentine would train with the senior squad the next day. Xavi recalls Messi, then 16, controlling the ball, dribbling, passing, and linking with teammates at a level that left senior players including Carles Puyol, Victor Valdes, Deco, and Ronaldinho stunned.
Leo was only 16 and he was pretty much the best player at the club, immediately.
Xavi describes Messi as a hard-working, fierce competitor who attacked goals directly without showboating. Off the pitch, he was shy and introverted, once asking permission to turn on a television during a shared room on an Asia tour. On the field, Messi constantly communicated with teammates, including asking Xavi to find him in behind when markers closed him down.
If you can't combine with Messi, you can't play football; it's as simple as that.
Xavi says playing with Messi was easy because he returned passes perfectly and always to the good foot. He credits Messi with making him a better footballer and describes him evolving from a quiet on-pitch leader into a full communicator for Argentina, with an unquenchable desire to win.
Among Messi's performances, Xavi singles out the first leg of the 2011 Champions League semi-final at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid. Jose Mourinho had Real Madrid playing on long grass in pursuit of a goalless draw before Messi scored and embarked on what Xavi describes as a Maradona-style dribbling run.
