Liverpool veteran James Milner has revealed he was branded a "donkey" by Leo Messi during the first-leg of their stunning Champions League win over Barcelona.

Milner was playing for the Reds in their semi-final first-leg clash at the Nou Camp and was tasked with keeping the Argentine forward quiet.

“He wasn't happy," Milner told the Mail on Sunday. "He was giving me plenty in Spanish going down the tunnel at half-time as well.

“He was calling me 'burro'. It translates as donkey but I think it's also used in Spanish football as a general term for someone who goes around kicking people.

“I asked him if he was all right, but he wasn't having it. I don't think he realised I understood his Spanish. He said: 'That foul you did, that's because I nutmegged you'.

“I left him to it at that point and went into the changing room."