A 16-year-old footballer, who was previously known as Daniel Are Knutsen, has signed for Norwegian third division side IK Junkeren but has made headlines for more than just his move.
The young attacker is said to have had his name legally changed to that of his idol Messi, a bold move for any player with dreams of making it at the highest level.
Messi, as the teenager is now known, accepts that he might not have as much quality as the FC Barcelona captain, but insisted he will attempt to get as close as he can to play like him.
A 16-year old Norwegian named Lionel Messi has signed for a third tier Norwegian club Junkeren. Formerly known as Daniel Are Knutsen, the teen admires the Argentina international so much that he changed his name to honour his idol. [FourFourTwo] pic.twitter.com/UKcbHgpqMa
— La Senyera (@LaSenyera) August 24, 2019
Speaking about the club's new signing, Junkeren's general manager joked that they now need to find a player who goes by the name of the original Lionel Messi's famous rival.
“I joked earlier that we have to look for Cristiano Ronaldo now,” Runar Bo Eriksen said.
SEE ALSO: “I Was About To Sign For Arsenal Before Joining Man United” – CR7 Reveals
“We know that there is a Ronaldo in the transfer market who has previously played at Fauske/Sprint, so we know he is out there.”
This article was most recently revised and updated 5 years ago
