Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp says Barcelona star Lionel Messi is a "skinny runt" but the "best in the world".
He wrote in his column for The Sun, "A mate of mine said to me the other day, after watching Messi destroy a team on his own, that the Argentine looks like the sort of bloke you'd find sitting in a bookies in the afternoon, smoking a fag and betting on horses.
"He's a skinny runt who looks nothing like a modern-day footballer really.
"He has funny little legs that move awkwardly when he runs and if he turned up at your club as a 16-year-old, you'd send him away with a pat on the head and tell him he'd no chance of making it.
"But what I really admire about little Leo is that he has shown you don't have to be 6ft tall with a six pack to make it in football, even these days.
"Some of the best players of all time were little blokes. George Best wasn't overly tall and he was slightly built. Look at the great Leeds side with Billy Bremner - or what about Celtic wing wizard Jimmy Johnstone?
"Look at Luka Modric in my team, a fantastic player who is an integral part of Spurs.
"You can't kick Messi out of a game as he rides tackles like a thoroughbred horse. The lad is surprisingly strong and can turn a game with his incredible acceleration or lightning-quick short passing movements, before applying a world-class finish.
"Argentina legend Ossie Ardiles insists Barcelona's Messi is better than fellow countryman Diego Maradona and that's some verdict, as Maradona was a genius.
"But it's hard to find a weakness in Messi's game and I guess the only aspect of his play which is not so strong is his heading."
