Xherdan Shaqiri has a similar style to Lionel Messi, says Darren Fletcher

Darren Fletcher has drawn parallels between new Stoke team-mate Xherdan Shaqiri and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.

Out-of-contract Fletcher became Mark Hughes' first summer signing and has been impressed by his fellow Stoke player.

The Scotland international believes Shaqiri's physical attributes give opposition defenders a problem, similar to that of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Fletcher, who made 91 appearances over a 29-month spell at West Brom, has enjoyed training alongside the stocky 5ft 5in - the same height as Messi - 25-year-old.

"I'm not saying he's Messi but he's got that same low centre of gravity and he can get past you so he really is hard to get a handle on," Fletcher told The Sentinel.

Stoke's Xherdan Shaqiri (right) has been compared to Lionel Messi

"He's a fantastic footballer. You can talk about his strength and his size but the biggest thing is that his first touch is fantastic: that moves the ball and eliminates strong players, then he relies on his strength when he has to."

The Switzerland international has been the star of the Potters' pre-season and is looking to get his fitness right for the campaign ahead after injury restricted him to 22 appearances last year.

Stoke's Xherdan Shaqiri (right) has been compared to Lionel Messi Stoke's Xherdan Shaqiri (right) has been compared to Lionel Messi

"Most of the time his first touch is that good that it's probably the difference," Fletcher added. "He's a top quality player, you can see that. He has great strength, when he receives the ball, he is sharp.

"Things happen when he gets the ball, which is important. You need your match winners, you need your mavericks, and he's definitely one of those."

Shaqiri has previously played for Basel and Bayern Munich - where he won the 2012/13 Champions League - before moving to the bet365 Stadium in 2015.

The winger has also represented Switzerland on 62 occasions, scoring 20 goals. A particularly memorable goal from Euro 2016 was his a bicycle kick from the edge of the area against Poland in the round of 16.