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The former England international has proclaimed that Messi should not be considered one of football's greats
Former Premier League midfielder Joey Barton has sparked controversy once again by suggesting that Lionel Messi's illustrious career should come with an asterisk due to his treatment for a growth hormone deficiency as a child.
Barton puts asterisk on Messi's legacy
On his Common Sense Podcast, Barton suggested that Messi's exceptional skill was tainted by his childhood medical treatment for a growth hormone deficiency. According to Barton, this treatment gave Messi a genetic advantage over other players, calling into question his title as one of the best footballers of all time.
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"He's asterisk though for me. There's a big asterisk on Messi's name for me, because he got on the steroids and all that at a young age to mess with his growth," Barton stated on his podcast, continuing, "Messi's been genetically modified at a young age, so there has to be an asterisk next to his name."
The growth hormone controversy
Barton further questioned the legitimacy of Messi's achievements, adding, "Messi was given growth hormone and all kinds of medications to help him grow. As far as I know, no one else has done that. So, if you'd have left him grow naturally and left him on the roast dinners - or whatever - he wouldn't have been big enough to end up what he's ended up doing.
Barton's claims originate from Messi's diagnosis of a growth hormone deficit at the age of ten and the subsequent medical therapy he got.
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While Messi's family struggled to finance the expensive therapy, his father eventually arranged a trial for him at Barcelona, where the club's medical experts assisted him in overcoming his health difficulties and launching his remarkable career. Still, Barton argues that Messi's early medical intervention provided him with an unfair advantage.
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