Those who saw Lionel Messi play when he was a young lad predicted great things for the left-footed Newell’s academy player - predictions which he would later, of course. go on to fulfil… or in most cases surpass. And at 13-years-old the young Leo Messi was already giving interviews, with answers that showed he was already different to his peers.

Almost 19 years later an interview Messi gave to Rosario-based newspaper Diario La Capital has been recovered and has gone viral in Argentina and Spain. Here's the introduction to the interview:

Lionel Messi is a player in the 10th division and the attacking playmaker for the team. He's not only one of the up and coming players in Newell's academy but has a huge future ahead of him, because, despite his height, he manages to go past one, two, dribble, score goals, but above all he enjoys himself with the ball and as of today he's being revealed to the world.

Leo Messi's answers

A hero: Two, my dad Jorge and my god-father Claudio.

A coach: Everyone I’ve had, because I’ve learnt something from all of them ((Gabriel, Morales, Domínguez, Vecchio and Coria).

A fitness coach: Pablo Sánchez.

A player: Two, my brother and my cousin.

A team: Newell's

A hobby: Listening to music.

A type of music: Cuarteto and Cumbia.

A TV programme: Primicias

A magazine: Pasión Rojinegra (Newell's fan magazine)

A book: The Bible.

A film: Baby's Day Out.

Other sport: Handball.

A model: Nicole Neumann.

A food: Chicken and sauce.

A subject: Spanish

A job: PE teacher

An objective: Finish secondary school.

A goal: Play in the first division.

A joy: When we were champions.

A sadness: My grandmother's death.

A hope: To play in the first division with Newell's

A memory: When my grandmother took me to play football for the first time.

A dream: To play for Argentina.

A tale to tell: When we travelled to Peru and became champions.

Humility: What a human being must never lose.

Argentinean youth teams: I'd love to play for them.

Expectations for this year: To be champions again.

Family: My dad Jorge, my mum Celia and my brothers and sisters Rodrigo, Natalia and Marisol.

Friends: I'm lucky I've got lots of good friends - if I tried to name them I'd forget someone.

What does Newell's mean in your life? Everything, absolutely everything.