Barcelona talisman, Lionel Messi is keen to become more of a team player, saying he is not obsessed with scoring goals as he used to.
The six-times world footballer of the year is known for his prolific goalscoring. But he said he now focuses on working more for the team in the latter part of his career
The veteran Argentine, who remains Barcelona’s all-time record goalscorer, with 635 goals in 734 appearances, has contributed 256 assists during his 16-year Barca career.
Having achieved success with the club, Messi has become increasingly proficient at setting up his team-mates in recent years. For instance, last season he broke the record for the most assists in a single La Liga campaign, laying on 21 goals for his team-mates.
“Today I am less obsessed with goals, I try to contribute as much as I can to the team effort,” he told magazine Garganta Poderosa.
Lionel Messi reveals involvement in community work
Speaking further, the Argentine skipper highlighted the community work taking place back in his native Argentina to try and combat the devastating impact of coronavirus.
In giving back to the society, Messi donated around €1 million (£907,000/$1.2m) earlier this year to help combat coronavirus, split between a Barcelona hospital and medical facilities back in his homeland.
“In this pandemic, we must maintain all the basic necessities like water, food and electricity.
“It makes me proud to see how people are getting involved with working in community kitchens and dining halls in Argentina, especially in such tough times as we are going through.
“Inequality is the biggest problem of our society and we should all work together to fix this.”
Speaking further, the veteran says any trophies Barcelona win this year would be in honour of those battling Covid-19.
“The copas that are raised this year should be for all the people who are involved to help in that way,” he said.
So far, Messi has scored one goal in three appearances for Barca this season. He had witnessed a turbulent summer that saw him hand in a transfer request following Barca’s 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
This made him be linked with Manchester City. He couldn’t leave the club after Barca insisted that whoever wants him has to pay a €700 million release clause on his contract which expires at the end of the season.
It’s expected that the Etihad outfit will come again to pounce on the opportunity of having the Argentine on a free transfer.
Messi can open negotiations with clubs in January.
