Ayala: Messi has gone from not speaking to being a leader on and off the pitch Barcelona The pair were teammates with Argentina

Former Valencia, Villarreal and Real Zaragoza centre-back Roberto Ayala has explained the way in which Lionel Messi has gone from being a shy character to the captain of both Barcelona and Argentina.

Messi was infamously a very timid individual, but in recent years he has made sure his voice is heard, both with club and country.

"Messi likes to be treated like anyone else," Ayala said in an interview with 90min.

"He's a very closed person who has grown a lot in the last few years.

"Today, he's a leader on and off the pitch.

"When he first started, we were teammates - he practically didn't speak.

"What's more, he would go out and train because he had to.

"If not, he would have stayed in his room.

"Today, he participates in everything: he talks with his teammates, he asks them how they are.

"Even before matches, he talks a lot."