Yorke: Messi has made MLS his playground and still has a special X-factor

Goal: Ex-Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke, now manager of the Trinidad & Tobago national team, told PokerScout that "Lionel Messi has made MLS his playground."

Yorke said Messi appears to be enjoying football again, likening him to a kid picking teammates up on the pitch and running the game. He described Messi as still a fantastic player whose ability and consistency remain exceptional, adding that the forward is "still deceptive, still has a little bit left in the locker" and should not be written off because of a "special X-factor" that can produce magic.

Yorke noted it will be interesting to see how Messi fares at the World Cup because the level there is "not quite the same" as in MLS and younger opponents may be more aggressive, though he also said that in Miami "he's embraced it and he's loving life" and he looks forward to seeing how Messi gets on.

Key Topics

Sports, Lionel Messi, Major League Soccer, World Cup, Dwight Yorke, Manchester United