"Messi never made any eye contact" - Rio Ferdinand explains facing Lionel Messi in the UEFA Champions League final and Sir Alex Ferguson's regret at Manchester United

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has claimed that the Red Devils were unfortunate to face Lionel Messi in the two UEFA Champions League finals against Barcelona.

Messi, 35, helped Barcelona lift four UEFA Champions League trophies during his illustrious 17-year stint at Camp Nou. After triumphing in 2006, he guided the club to two 2-0 and 3-1 wins over the Red Devils in the summit clash of the continental competition in 2009 and 2011, respectively.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side were unable to stop the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner on both occasions as the player scored twice in the two finals. While the Argentine scored an iconic header in Rome, the left-footed forward netted from the distance in London two years later.

Speaking on a BBC documentary titled Messi (via Mirror), Ferdinand shared his thoughts on locking horns against the attacker. He said:

"In 2009 and 2011, we were facing the best team in the world with one of the best players ever to play. I look at that now and think it was so unlucky to then have to play them.

"Messi never made any eye contact, nothing. He just separated himself entirely, playing away from you and then all of a sudden he would turn up. Bang."

Ferdinand also revealed that then-Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson rued not instructing Park Ji-Sung to man-mark the forward. He added:

"Ferguson said that he should have put Park Ji-Sung on him. If anyone could have done it, then it would have been him. But I have watched so many clips of that game when he moves Park around a lot.

"Maybe Park would have been able to slow him down, and maybe that would have been enough."

However, he asserted that no Manchester United player could have stopped the Paris Saint-Germain star on those two ill-fated nights. He said:

"But would that have stopped a prime Lionel? I very much doubt it. I don't think one player could do it. I was just on the pitch at the end and thought that we need to get off there. They took our soul, basically. He was the main ingredient."

Messi lifted his fourth UEFA Champions League crown with the Blaugrana in 2015, defeating Massimiliano Allegri's Juventus 3-1 in Berlin.

Manchester United star opens up on playing with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Speaking to ESPN (via Mirror), Argentina and Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has expressed his pride at playing alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He said:

"I feel privileged, it is an honour to share with them. You learn, you absorb. They have won everything, they want more, an admirable mentality and you give your best in every workout."

While the Argentine has been in fine form with 25 goal involvements in 17 games across all competitions this season, the Portuguese has registered just four goal contributions in 14 overall appearances.