Pedri: How Lionel Messi’s ‘Hidden Skill’ Helped Discover Barcelona’s Golden Boy

• Pedri is on his way to becoming a Barcelona legend after reaching a milestone, playing 100 games for the Catalans
• His potential has been compared with Barcelona legends Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez
• The 20-year-old was apparently discovered by the eagle eyes of Lionel Messi

Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi is undoubtedly one of the most skilled footballers the sport has ever witnessed but the Argentine genius also possesses a less utilized talent.

Messi has been credited for discovering one of the hottest prospects in Spanish football, Pedri Gonzalez.

Since making his Barcelona debut in September 2020, Pedri has rapidly become a centurion, reaching 100 games for the Catalan giants, 90Min reports.

The 20-year-old midfield genius, whose potential is mentioned in the same breath as Iniesta and Xavi, is arguably Barcelona's stand-out player this campaign.

Video: Mischievous Messi smashes Verratti's head with the ball, then gets Neymar in trouble

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Throwing more light on how Pedri came to the fore, Ronald Koeman, who coached Barca between 2020 and 2021, has fingered Leo Messi for spotting the talent of Pedri at an early stage.

“Leo Messi is very good at identifying talent and very humble too," Koeman said as quoted by Barca Universal.

"At Barca, he was the one who immediately noticed Pedri's qualities and was willing to blend with him during matches, unlike some other players."

Pedri stars in Barcelona win

Barcelona midfielder Pedri Gonzalez earned his side a tense 1-0 Catalan derby victory at Girona, stretching their lead ahead of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.

Barca put their rivals under pressure to get a result and keep up with them in the title race.

Pedri netted the only goal from close range after an hour at an icy Montilivi on his 100th appearance for Barcelona, after replacing the injured Ousmane Dembele.

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Ex-Madrid star chooses Messi as GOAT

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain defender Sergio Ramos has become the latest footballer to delve into the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate, Sports Brief earlier reported.

The argument on who between the two football stars is the greatest of all time has often left many football lovers divided.

After playing against Messi for over 15 years, Ramos has now admitted that the Argentina phenomenon is "the best player football has ever produced," per SportsBIBLE.