Suresh Raina, the India all-rounder, has drawn parallels between batting great Sachin Tendulkar and football superstar Lionel Messi.

Tendulkar and Messi seemingly have a lot of similarities. They were both prodigies, and made their debut at the highest level in their teens. And they both came good on all that promise, with Tendulkar toppling unfathomable batting records during the course of his 24-year-career, while Messi conquered the football world and is arguably the greatest of all time.

Raina, who is an Arsenal fan, said more than the talent and the skill that each of them possess, it’s the manner in which they carry themselves off the field that makes them similar.

“I am a big fan of Messi,” Raina told Khaleej Times in an interview. “He is so down to earth. Both Sachin and Messi are very good when it comes to taking care of people around them because in sports you need to be really humble.

“You may be the number one player in the world, but your legacy is very important. You need to show gratitude to everyone.”