Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has revealed how Cesc Fabregas played a part in him securing Lionel Messi's jersey after a game.

The Germany international swapped jerseys with the living legend during a meeting between the two clubs in 2017, thanks to his teammate.

"I have Lionel Messi's shirt from when we played Barcelona in the Champions League a couple of years ago. It was a big honour for me to play against a player like him so I just asked him after the game when we shook hands," Rudiger explained to the club's website.

"I thought for sure he doesn't want mine but then Cesc Fabregas was nearby and he said 'give him your shirt, he wants your shirt too!'"

On his first football shirt, Rudiger added: "My first football shirt? It was a shirt I made for myself.

"My parents didn't have so much money to buy me one so I made one for myself - it was number nine, George Weah.

"It was just a white t-shirt and I wrote the number nine and his name on the back."