What happened to ex-Premier League hotshot who 'claimed he was better than Lionel Messi'?

Few who person been compared to Lionel Messi person really lived up to the Argentinian icon's legacy, including a erstwhile Premier League prima who erstwhile bushed him to a aureate boot

Hugo Rodallega cemented himself arsenic a Premier League cult leader with his spell astatine Wigan Athletic - but being compared to Lionel Messi?

It seems inexplicable that the 2 were erstwhile mentioned successful the aforesaid enactment aft their precise antithetic careers. But rewind astir 2 decades and that was really the case.

It was the South American U20 Championship and each the speech successful the build-up was astir Barcelona's emerging endowment Messi, who was expected to instrumentality the tourney by storm. But Rodallega alternatively finished arsenic apical scorer with 11 goals, firing Colombia to the trophy.

It was past that helium was said to person claimed helium was amended than Argentina's rising star. That remark followed the striker passim his journeyman vocation done Mexico, England, Turkey and Brazil.

However, helium puts it down to being misquoted, explaining the world of the concern to Diario AS successful 2023. “I’m not amended than Messi. I’m not amended than anyone," Rodallega said.

"That time the writer asked: 'Do you deliberation you are the champion successful the tournament?' And I said to him: 'I don't deliberation I americium the champion successful the tournament, but we are archetypal with Colombia, I americium a goalscorer and I consciousness precise good. No, I americium the champion successful the tournament, but I don't deliberation I americium amended than Messi'."

He besides revealed that helium aboriginal clarified the contented with Messi himself, specified was the magnitude of the situation. Rodallega added: "I spoke to him, I spoke to [Pablo] Zabaleta years later, erstwhile we were successful England, Zabaleta was astatine Manchester City and erstwhile we faced each different we stayed talking, helium asked maine and we talked astir it.

"I besides spoke to Messi successful Holland and it was wide that it ne'er happened, but nothing. Messi asked maine the aforesaid happening and past helium told me, 'don't wage attraction to the press, they're idiots'."

While Messi went connected to blossom into 1 of the top talents successful shot history, Rodallega forged a palmy career, albeit 1 that pales successful comparison. His goal-every-other-game ratio for Liga MX broadside Necaxa caught the oculus of Wigan, who paid a £4.5million interest for him successful January 2009.

He swiftly became what is present hailed arsenic a 'Barclaysman', a cult leader who was astatine their highest betwixt the mid-to-late noughties and aboriginal 2010s. His goals, including the victor successful a 1-0 triumph distant astatine Stoke City connected the last time of the 2010/11 season, were captious to preserving the Latics' Premier League status.

Rodallega near for Fulham astatine the extremity of his declaration successful the summertime of 2012, failing to person arsenic large an interaction successful the capital. As is the lawsuit for galore ageing players looking for a way retired of England, helium headed to Turkey and enjoyed 3 much prolific spells.

And present aged 39, Rodallega is inactive firing successful the goals backmost successful his location country. He registered 18 arsenic good arsenic 8 assists successful 48 appearances for Santa Fe successful the Colombian apical formation past twelvemonth and remains a 90-minute man.

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