If Lionel Messi can clean his own boots despite being a big star, then you should be able to clean yours too. This is the message conveyed at Manchester United’s academy, where a portrait of the Barcelona legend cleaning his own shoes hangs on the wall.
Using messengers is an obvious way to communicate with today’s youth. Former Manchester United star, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Messi have elevated the game to new heights, winning the Ballon d’Or five times, four Champions Leagues, and scoring over 600 goals in a stellar career.
However, Messi’s lesson is about humility rather than talent or hard work. The shot shows him polishing his boots after a friendly match between Argentina and Croatia at Upton Park in 2014.
The image is a timely reminder to young players vying for a spot in Jose Mourinho’s first team that they must stay grounded and not lose touch with reality. As the head of youth development at the Premier League club, John Murtagh believes that developing people is just as important as developing footballers.
“We have the footballing values here of attacking, free-flowing, exciting football and, as people, you want humility, someone who’s honest, hardworking person, someone who’s respectful,” Murtagh said in an interview with The Times.
Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt, now a coach at the club’s academy, does not want the young players to become overly fixated on Messi imagery.
According to the Uruguayan, everyone wants to be a No. 10 like Messi. This is great, but people should also remember the value of box-to-box players like Roy Keane and Steven Gerrard who were not modern academy products. Too many similar players are being developed by academies.