With Lionel Messi having recently been confirmed as Inter Miami's captain, the Argentine superstar is now said to have inspired a certain major change at the club.
The 36-year-old grabbed all the headlines when he scored a last-minute free-kick in his debut to give his new side a 2-1 win over Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup on Saturday morning.
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To add to his emphatic contribution on the pitch after handing Inter Miami their first win in eight games, new manager Gerardo Martino confirmed on Monday night that the Argentine would be the team's skipper going forward.
The FC Barcelona legend's arrival is also believed to have lifted the mood at the Florida outfit as they sit rock-bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference after 22 games played so far.
According to The Athletic, Messi has inspired his new teammates to arrive for training earlier than the set schedule after he decided to pitch up way ahead time at the training center, which sits adjacent to the team's 19 100-capacity DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is also said to have asserted himself as a selfless figure in the dressing room, and has been active in the squad's WhatsApp group chat.
Robert Taylor, the player who scored the opener for Inter Miami in their recent 2-1 win, admitted that the former Paris Saint-Germain forward has captivated the squad in a big way, and that he still cannot believe he is now the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner's teammate.
"It's amazing, it's great, of course I'm excited. He's just come in and brought a lot of energy to the team," the 28-year-old Finland international told The Independent.
"His play means he makes the right decisions all of the time in training and in the games, which is why it's so good. It's a great feeling. The way to win it as well.
"To witness that free-kick and the quality he brings to the team, it's unbelievable.
"... If someone told me a few years ago, when sitting on the bench for [English non-league team] Lincoln Moorlands, that I'm going to play with [Sergio] Busquets and Messi, I would have just laughed in their face.
"I was sitting on the bench, I wasn't able to get any minutes in non-league and the coach told me I'm not strong enough or basically good enough. I was just sitting on the bench watching. It tested me when I was younger. I was calling my parents back home in Finland and saying maybe I want to look for something, other options."
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