Dybala proud of praise from ´idol´ Messi

Juventus forward Paulo Dybala says hearing praise from Lionel Messi has emboldened him to keep improving.

Argentina captain Messi has described his compatriot as a worthy successor to his place in the national team after his outstanding form since joining the Serie A champions from Palermo last year.

Dybala was proud to hear Messi’s encouraging remarks and hopes to enjoy playing alongside him with Argentina over the coming years.

“To have an idol in a player like Messi and to have him say these things makes me proud,” he told El Chiringuito, as Argentina prepare for World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia.

“I want to say that I’m working well, doing good things and that I have to continue down this road.

“When I was with the national team, he was injured and we couldn’t get together. Now if everything goes well, we’ll have an opportunity to get to know each other.

“They have the best players in the world at the moment and, going forward, there’s no other team who attack like Barcelona.”

Dybala also offered his thoughts on Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo – a player he insists any forward should look up to.

“Ronaldo shows the class of player he is in every game,” he said. “He’s an admirable footballer because, logically, everyone who plays in that position would like to be able to score all the goals he does.”