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

Alphoso Davies of Bayern Munich, Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona
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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.”

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