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Dimitar Berbatov Picks Messi Over Ronaldo: 'He's the F*****g Greatest'

Former Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov has described Barcelona star Lionel Messi as the greatest footballer to ever play the game.
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Former Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov has described Barcelona star Lionel Messi as the greatest footballer to ever play the game.

The debate regarding who's better when it comes to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won't be going away any time soon, and Berbatov has added his opinion, rating Messi higher than his former United colleague.

Ronaldo just won FIFA's Player of the Year Award this week, beating Messi to the trophy, but the Bulgarian reckons that Messi is the better player, despite admitting the Portuguese's brilliance.

“He's the f***ing greatest. Ronaldo is brilliant, Messi is more my kind of player," Berbatov said to ESPNFC. "He sees the game so clearly. He can score, create, he's the complete player, the best ever probably.”

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Berbatov does believe that the Real Madrid man is a great role model for aspiring youngsters, yet feels that they should try emulating his work ethic instead of the flashiness.

“Young players try and imitate the best players like Ronaldo," he added. "They try to imitate the hair, the clothes, the cars, the tricks. 

"I try to tell them how hard Cristiano Ronaldo trained in training and after training.

"He only wanted to be the best. Everything else came after.”

Berbatov spent four years at Old Trafford with United, enjoying the most successful period of his career whilst playing for the Premier League side. Having moved from Tottenham in 2008, the striker would win two Premier League titles, and a League Cup before moving on to Fulham.

He now suits up for the Kerala Blasters in India; and at 36, he doesn't see himself playing anywhere else after his stint there is over.