Chelsea ace Frank Lampard admits being in awe of Barcelona star Lionel Messi's scoring record.

The two midfielders come face-to-face tomorrow night at Stamford Bridge.

Lampard said: "I grew up with (Diego) Maradona - he was my idol as a player - but I think Messi has taken it to probably further levels than him, certainly in his club football.

"To score the 70 goals he'll probably end up with this season, they're crazy figures.

"He deserves it. He's the best player in the world on merit. He's absolutely unbelievable."