"Lionel Messi is the best player in the world, but he's also the most humble star I know," said Eric Abidal. "I shared six years with him in Barca's dressing room and it was an honour to sit by his side. It was a pleasure to see him prepare and smile. I never saw him stressed out."
The former Barcelona left-back clearly enjoyed playing with Messi.
"He knew he had the talent he needed to help and make the difference on the pitch, but always with a positive attitude and humility with the rest of the players, I learned a lot from him," added Abidal on Radio Trinidad. "He was one of the surprises that I found at Barcelona.
"I started to play with him in 2007 and today in 2018, Leo's level keeps growing year on year. We haven't seen such a talented player operating on that level for so long and still making records. I hope he never retires," joked Abidal. "I would ask him to keep playing another 10 years, it would be an honour for me and something a lot of people want."