Lionel Messi 'instantly impressed' by Barcelona teenager Ansu Fati

Lionel Messi has said that he and his Barcelona teammates must create an environment to get the best out of Ansu Fati.

In the absence of Messi, 16-year-old Fati has taken centre stage, contributing two goals and an assist in his first 162 minutes of La Liga football.

However, while admitting that he was left instantly impressed by the youngster, Messi has suggested that nothing should be taken for granted regarding the winger's development.

Speaking at the Best FIFA Player awards in Milan, Marca quotes the 32-year-old as saying: "I was impressed by him the first day I saw him train. Then he was playing with us, he has great quality.

"We need to go little by little with him and not put pressure on him. We must help him and go slowly so that the buzz around him doesn't prevent him from growing, as he has what it takes to be a great player."

Fati and Messi could both feature when Barcelona face Villarreal on Tuesday night.