Inter Miami winger Robert Taylor said that when Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets first entered the team’s dressing room, he was taken aback.
‘Everyone was a little starstruck,’ Taylor said of being around Messi and Busquets when they first joined the team in June, according to the Miami Herald.
‘Of course, the first time I met Messi in the locker room, I was like, ‘Whoa, like, this is wild,’ but he and Busquets were never intimidating to me because they are such great men, constantly smiling.’
‘If anything, it just makes me so excited to come to training every morning knowing that I can train with these players and be around them and they can make me a better player.’
‘Most of the players would agree that it’s just exciting. Everyone wants to play with the best players in the world. And we are privileged enough to be able to do that.’
Taylor has thrived in the little time he has been on the field alongside Messi and Busquets.
Taylor matched Messi on the stat sheet in Miami’s 4-0 League Cup triumph over Atlanta United, with two goals and an assist, demonstrating that he is immediately taking advantage of the opportunity to play with two of the world’s top players.
Following his outstanding performance against Atlanta, Taylor was quick to heap accolades on Messi as well.
‘I think everyone sees what he does,’ Taylor remarked. ‘On the ball, he can do everything. He can keep it together in tough situations and always takes the right decision. I just want to come in behind him and make a run for him every time he has the ball.’
‘Most of the time, he’ll find one of our colleagues making a run for sure. He adds a lot of value to the team.’
‘Because he is the finest player in the world, this is what he does. He scored two goals, he scored the previous game, and he gets another assist, it’s just a matter of time.