Tim Sherwood has suggested Lionel Messi is not a ‘natural goalscorer’, insisting talent in football can only be nurtured.
The Barcelona star is a six-time Ballon d’Or winner with an endless list of personal records including most La Liga goals (438) and the most ever goals scored by a player in a calendar year (91).
But former Tottenham and Aston Villa boss Sherwood argues Messi’s talent was achieved through years of hard work because he ‘dribbled a stone round an alleyway’ - rather than anything he was born with.
"I would take attitude over ability all day," Sherwood said in an interview with MailOnline.
"If you can marry the two up, then you’ve got a serious footballer. I hate it when I hear pundits talking about ‘natural talent’. There’s no such thing.
"That’s physical. I don’t buy that there are natural goalscorers. Lionel Messi is what he is because he’s dribbled a stone round an alleyway and his brothers have been kicking s*** out of him for five years. ‘It’s nurture. You aren’t just born like that."
