Former Liverpool striker and Real Madrid coach John Toshack says John Charles was the best player he's seen.

Toshack admits he rates the former Juventus star as a better player than Barcelona ace Lionel Messi.

He told AS: "Messi is something else, I think. Normally, coaches make players good. I believe that this is what makes coaches good. He is one of the best, although the biggest one for me will always be John Charles.

"I saw him play when I think I was nine.

"He came at the end of his career to play for Cardiff. I was 15 or 16 years old. I spent whole afternoons with him, unforgettable. He's the best I've seen in my life, but I guess that's personal. I have seen Messi..."