Lille forward Angel Gomes had the most wholesome reaction when seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi asked for his shirt after their clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG knocked five goals past Les Dogues at the Stade Pierre Mauroy on Sunday evening as Mauricio Pochettino's side extended their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to 13 points.
Danilo Pereira opened the scoring on the 10-minute mark before Lille defender Sven Botman - who was heavily linked with a move to Newcastle in January - equalised before the half-hour mark.
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But things quickly went down hill for the home side. Goals from Presnel Kimpembe, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and another from Danilo gave Les Parisiens all three points.
It was a damning defeat for Lille, who have struggled this season after winning the 2020/21 Ligue 1 campaign, but on the plus side, it was a night former Manchester United man Angel Gomes will never forget.
After the final whistle, Gomes bumped into Lionel Messi in the tunnel. Initially, it looked like Gomes expected the 34-year-old to hand over the number 10 shirt and walk off.
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But to his surprise, the former Barcelona man gestured that he wanted Gomes' shirt in return. It made for great viewing.
How good was that?
Gomes, who spent 14 years at Manchester United after joining the club aged six, joined Ligue 1 side Lille in August 2020 and was immediately loaned out to Portuguese club Boavista in a bid to pick up valuable first-team experience.
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He flourished in the Primeira Liga and this season, he has made 16 appearances for Les Dogues after returning from Portugal.
The 21-year-old also earned his first England U21 call-up in October.
Explaining why he decided to leave Old Trafford in 2020, Gomes said via Le Petit Lillois: “I don’t think the opportunity came too quickly at Manchester United.
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"Things come when you deserve them. I achieved good things when I was at Manchester United, which I will remember all my life
“I don’t think it was rushed, but sometimes there’s decisions to be made and you have to know how to get out of your comfort zone.”
Topics: Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain, Ligue 1, Lille, Angel Gomes
Jack Kenmare