Lennart Karl wears Messi image on shin guard for every match

Lennart Karl has quickly become one of the most talked-about teenagers in European football, becoming the youngest player to score in three consecutive Champions League games and surpassing Kylian Mbappe. He has revealed he wears custom shin guards featuring an image of Lionel Messi in every competitive match, a tribute he says keeps his idol close on the pitch.

"Yes, Messi is on my left shinpad," Karl revealed. "He’s been my role model ever since I could play football – left-footed, on the smaller side too, a player who does incredible things with the ball. Having him with me gives me something to think about. It’s simply an incentive to work hard to make a name for myself at the highest level." "Michael Olise is someone I particularly enjoy watching," Karl said.

"He operates in similar spaces, is also left-footed, and has a composure on the ball that I can learn a lot from." He also highlighted the example set by senior professionals: "With Jo [Kimmich] or Harry [Kane], for example, I’m impressed by what they do off the pitch.

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