Mario Balotelli names his footballing idol and it isn't Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo

Mario Balotelli has named his football idol and opted not to choose Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi for his selection.

Balotelli is well known to Premier League football fans thanks to his time at Manchester City and also Liverpool.

The flamboyant Italian striker joined City from Inter Milan in 2010 and went on to win the FA Cup and Premier League with the club.

Balotelli moved to AC Milan in 2013 before returning to England and signing for Liverpool.

But Balotelli's time at Anfield was not a successful one and the striker headed back to the San Siro on loan for the 2015/16 season, before making a permanent move to Nice in 2016.

After leaving Nice in 2019, Balotelli's career has seen him move most summers and he has represented several clubs in France, Switzerland, Turkey and Italy.

This has included spells at Marseille, Brescia, Monza, Adana Demirspor and Sion.

He spent last season at Genoa and made six appearances for the Ligurian side, but did not find the back of the net. As a result, the now 34-year-old Balotelli finds himself a free agent.

The striker, who scored 14 goals in 36 caps for Italy, is now seeking another club at the highest level he can find for the next two to three years, before fulfilling a promise he made to his brother Enock to end his playing days alongside him.

Mario Balotelli has revealed his football icon. (Image: Getty)

Speaking to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, Balotelli said: "I'm looking for a club that will trust me. I want to play for another two or three years.

"Then I'll go to my brother Enock.

"He's now playing for Vado among the amateurs. We'll see. Anyway, I promised him I'll end my career playing alongside him."

Mario Balotelli reveals his football idol

In the same interview, Balotelli revealed who his footballing idol was, and the selection was neither Ronaldo nor Messi. The pair are widely regarded as two of the greatest footballers of all time and are a common choice for the GOAT, thanks to the 13 Ballon d'Or titles the duo have won between them.

But instead, Balotelli opted for a player who starred for Inter back in the 1990s - Ronaldo Nazario.

The Brazilian played for Inter between 1997 and 2002 as he scored 59 goals in 99 appearances for the club. It was a spell that Balotelli remembered fondly as he explained why Ronaldo is his footballing idol who, like him, ended up playing for both clubs in Milan.

He said: "As a boy, I was a fan of the Nerazzurri because my idol was Ronaldo the Phenomenon, and I've never hidden my love for the Rossoneri.

"But being a fan is another thing entirely."