Former England international and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has delivered a message to Lionel Messi, over his imminent arrival in Major League Soccer.
Messi’s name, of course, has taken its place centre stage in the headlines stateside over the course of the last 24 hours.
This comes after the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, at long last, was unveiled in the colours of new club Inter Miami.
BIENVENIDO 1️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/df1TJQQoYv
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 15, 2023
Fresh off sealing a Ligue 1 and World Cup double over the course of the last six months, veteran Messi has opted to leave the European game behind, in favour of an adventure in MLS.
The widespread assumption, altogether understandably, is that the Argentine will now go on to light up the American game, remaining, even at 36, a level above the standard of a league still building when it comes to both exposure and quality.
One individual, however, of the opinion that Messi may be surprised by the demands of football in his new home comes in the form of Wayne Rooney.
“Everything is set for him,” the DC United head coach began. “He’s got all his mates over! [Sergio] Busquets and Jordi Alba have signed for Inter Miami and maybe [Andrés] Iniesta will join them. Luis Suárez too. Messi has a coach [Inter Miami manager Tata Martino] he likes and trusts. It’s huge, especially with what’s going on in Saudi, for the MLS to attract Messi. He won’t find it easy here. It sounds mad, but players who come in find it’s a tough league. The travelling, the different conditions in different cities, and there’s a lot of energy and intensity on the pitch.”
