Forgotten Barcelona wonderkid who was 'better than Lionel Messi' managed just one senior goal for the club

A forgotten Barcelona wonderkid who was deemed to be 'better than Lionel Messi' only scored one senior goal for the club for his departure.

Messi is Barcelona's greatest-ever player, holding the record for most club goals (672), the most goals in a single calendar year (91) and most Ballon d'Or wins for one club (seven).

The Argentinian also has four Champions League titles to his name and, were it not for Barca's financial issues that caused the expiry of his contract in 2021, he may well have finished his career at Camp Nou.

As it is, Barca have had to look for Messi successors in recent years - and may well have found one in 17-year-old Lamine Yamal.

The club's famed La Masia youth system has produced some of the icons of world football in every position.

Messi's year, dubbed the class of 1987, was particularly profitable, with Cesc Fabregas - who left for Arsenal aged 16 in 2003 - and Gerard Pique also going on to represent the first team with distinction.

But none of that trio were considered as the best player in the academy at the time.

That accolade went to attacking midfielder Victor Vazquez, who had been with Barca since the age of 11.

Fabregas once explained: "I remember Messi and Victor were by far the best players in our team.

"Sometimes they would go in for head-to-head duels. If one scored four in one game, the other would hit five."

Unlike Messi, who was fast-tracked to the first team in 2004, Vazquez continued to progress through Barca's youth teams before making his first team debut in 2008.

That wasn't to prove to be his breakthrough, however, and the Spaniard suffered a serious knee injury during a reserve team game the following year.

Vazquez was called up sporadically following his return, and would only make three appearances in all competitions - scoring once in a Champions League group stage fixture against Rubin Kazan in 2010 - before leaving the club in 2011.

He signed for Club Brugge on a three-year contract, and subsequently spent time in Mexico, Qatar and India.

He may be best known to fans for a spell at Major League Soccer side Toronto FC, where he won five separate trophies in the 2017 season.

Now 38 years of age, Vazquez is still an active player and currently plays for Andorran top flight side FC Santa Coloma, who will compete in the qualifying stages of this season's Conference League.