Dad compares son to Messi after he kicks ball in garden 

A father witnessing his child kick a football in their garden has compared him to Lionel Messi, it has emerged.

When Carl Thrift spotted his son Josh kick the ball toward their bin on a Saturday morning, he knew he had a talent on his hands.

‘I just screamed at him a few times for him to kick it, and there it was, a natural striker of a football. I could see it there and then he could play in a Messi like role.’

‘I then threw the ball as hard as I could at his head to see his reaction, it just pinged off his napper. Like a young Mark Hughes it was. He’s like a Messi, Mark Hughes and Paul Warhurst in one. There is a under 6 team locally but I’m bypassing them, getting in touch with the big boys. I don’t want him being played out of position too early on and the Uniteds, Citys and Liverpools will get that.’

‘I expect a bidding war obviously. You can’t hit the ball at a bin like he does at that age and not expect it.’

By the time we went to press United, City and Liverpool had not got back to Carl. Everton, however, have offered Josh a 3 year deal.