Davies: I used to watch Messi growing up, now I'm defending against him!

Alphonso Davies vows not to shy away from the challenge of going against Lionel Messi, one of his childhood heroes.

Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies has already made a huge mark on the team at a very young age as he continues to enjoy an impressive breakthrough season.

Scored three goals and setting up nine more for his teammates, the winger turned full-back played a prominent role in helping Bayern pick up the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal trophy.

The 19-year old is blessed with a great skill set, and his blinding pace is what truly makes him a deadly weapon. He clocked in at 36.51 km/h in a Bundesliga match, the fastest player ever recorded in the league.

But Davies’ strengths will be put to a test like never before when he faces Lionel Messi in the upcoming Champions League quarter-final clash.

“My mum called me yesterday and then my dad hopped on the phone, and he was like: ‘So you’re playing against your favorite player, I see.’,” said Davies, speaking to the official UEFA website.

“And honestly we couldn’t even believe it, because he knows that I looked up to Messi when I was younger, and now playing against him, it’s really nice. Growing up, I used to watch him all the time and now I’m defending against him.

“We know that he’s a great player – we’re not going to take that away from him – so the best you can do is try, I guess.”