The Spain international clearly made a lasting impression on Leo, who spoke to Guardiola privately about the midfielder

Pep Guardiola has revealed Lionel Messi knew Sergio Busquets was good enough for the Barcelona first team after just three days of training.

The Spain international is sometimes overlooked for his defensive work because he regularly featured in teams containing the aforementioned Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

2 Busquets has quietly mastered the art of playing as a holding midfielder for tow of the best teams of this generation

Before making his way into the Blaugrana’s first team however, the defensive midfielder played for Guardiola in the B team before following him up in the 2008/09 season.

After seven LaLiga titles and three Champions League medals, the current Manchester City boss revealed how quickly it took five-time Balon d’Or winner Messi to realise the potential Buqsuets had.

“I remember what Messi told me,” Guardiola told Universo Valdano.

“After two or three days of training with him, he came to me and said, ‘I like this one’. And I said, ‘When there is trouble, he will be there’.”

2 Messi and Busquets have come through the academy to become legends at Barcelona

Guardiola added: “He does everything for those around him.”

Ask anyone who knows the game what they think of the 30-year-old and they will certainly agree and tell you he is criminally underrated.

Composed on the ball and bale to break up play spectacularly, Busquets is the fulcrum from which Barca and Spain operate.

Once again, the Spaniard has earned an 88 player rating overall on FIFA 19, but fails to make it into the top 10 of this year’s edition.