“He would turn and go the other way” – When ex-Arsenal forward claimed Lionel Messi never tried to dribble past him

Former Arsenal striker Theo Walcott claimed in a 2021 interview with talkSPORT that the legendary Lionel Messi didn't look to dribble past him.

Walcott, 34, has called time on his playing days, having spent most of his club career (2006-2018) at the Gunners. The Englishman made his Arsenal debut at the tender age of 17 and inherited the No. 14 shirt from club legend Thierry Henry.

Walcott played nearly 400 games for the Gunners across competitions, bagging 108 goals and 80 assists, winning the FA Cup thrice and the Community Shield twice. After a three-season stint at Southampton, he has announced his retirement from the game.

In his prime, before his ACL injury in 2014, Walcott was a menace down the wings, thanks to his blistering pace. The 47-cap England man was an unused substitute at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where the Three Lions exited in the quarterfinals.

In the aforementioned interview with talkSPORT, Walcott said that Messi would 'go the other way' if the Argentine - widely regarded as one of the best players in football history - had the ball but Walcott was ahead.

“When he (Messi) had the ball and he wanted to face up with me, he would turn and go the other way," Walcott recalled. "I thought, ‘OK, Messi doesn’t want to try and run past me, that’s a good sign’.

He continued:

"We played Barcelona quite a lot, and Messi asked for my shirt. I thought, ‘Wow, the greatest player in the world is asking for my shirt!’ I’ve got no words for that.”

Walcott bagged eight goals and as many assists for the Three Lions. Meanwhile, Messi is still going strong at the age of 36, striking nine times in six games to take Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup final against Nashville on Saturday (August 19).

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"People in this city and this club have made it easy for us" - Lionel Messi on life at Inter Miami

Lionel Messi has hit the ground running at Miami.

Lionel Messi has arrived on American shores this summer, venturing on a new adventure with MLS side Inter Miami.

Arriving on a free transfer after a two-season stint at Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi has taken the Herons to the Leagues Cup final, scoring in all six games. In a press conference on Thursday (August 17), Messi lavished praise on Miami and its fans and how they have eased his adaptation process.

“People in this city and this club have made it easy for us," Messi said at a press conference. "The fans, the people that I meet every day on the streets in the city we are now, it’s a spectacular city, and that’s why I can live with happiness."

He added:

"We are in that adaptation period, the kids are going to school soon, and that will help to get to the end of that adjustment, and get used to daily life. It’s only a small period to complete the adaptation, but it’s been much easier than we thought."

The Herons are looking to win their first title in their short five-year history, and Messi will hope to play a key role.