Exclusive: Emile Heskey names two opponents who were 'on same level' as Messi and Ronaldo but didn't get the same respect
Former England striker Emile Heskey said two opponents were on the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, in an exclusive interview with SPORTbible.
Heskey, 47, scored 110 Premier League goals in 516 appearances across spells at several clubs, including Aston Villa and Liverpool, as well as being capped 62 times by England.
The Leicester City academy graduate represented the Three Lions at three major international tournaments - UEFA EURO 2004 and two FIFA World Cups in 2002 and 2010.
But it was during an Under-21 fixture where he faced a player he described as “on the same level” as Messi, 37, and Ronaldo, 40.
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During an exclusive interview with SPORTbible in association with Poker Scout, Heskey was asked about players who he felt should’ve gone on to achieve more in the game.
“The only opponent I played against who I thought would be on the level as Lionel Messi was Pablo Aimar,” Heskey said.
“He was on that level, but not as high profile as Messi. He was outstanding. I played against him in the England Under-21s, couldn't get near him."
Aimar, now 45, won 52 caps for Argentina and played an important role in Valencia winning La Liga in 2001/02 and 2003/04 as well as winning the 2003/04 UEFA Cup.
He then went on to become integral to Benfica’s side, with ex-teammate Javier Saviola describing him as the “most important player I played alongside” in an interview with SPORTbible.
Messi even claimed Aimar was the “player I admired the most” back in 2024.
“I played against Juan Roman Riquelme, and we just couldn't get near him,” Heskey added.
“I was bigger than them and I was thinking I could run around them, they were just outstanding, the way they manoeuvred and manipulated the ball, they were just brilliant. Players like that stood out for me, I thought they could be superstars on the same level as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Riquelme, 46, played for Barcelona between 2003 and 2005 but showed his best form for Villarreal and his hometown club Boca Juniors before retiring in 2015.
The Argentine was one of the few players to have played with both Diego Maradona and Messi.
Speaking to ESPN Argentina in 2023, Riquelme was asked to pick between the pair.
“Maradona? He’s the greatest I saw on a football pitch when I was a child," Riquelme said.
"Now, when I grew up, the greatest is Messi. I was lucky to play with both of them, for me it was a very big dream.”
Topics: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Football
Luke Davies