Marseille head coach Andre Villas-Boas has compared his star man Dimitri Payet to Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Juventus ace Cristiano Ronaldo.
With 11 Ballon d’Or titles between them, the duo have dominated the world game for over a decade, while Payet’s highlights include a stellar campaign in the Premier League with West Ham, a Europa League runners-up spot with OM and 38 caps for France.
Nevertheless, Villas-Boas, who was speaking after a scoreless Ligue 1 draw against Angers that the Reunion-born player missed due to suspension, believes that the importance his side attaches to the 32-year-old forward is similar to that the teams of Messi and Ronaldo give to their respective superstars.