Yaya Toure feared Messi would humiliate him

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure admitted that he was afraid his former team-mate Lionel Messi would humiliate him when The Citizens took on Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 last season.

Lionel Messi gets the better of Yaya Toure during the UCL meeting between Barcelona and Manchester City at the Camp Nou Source: Getty Images

In a wide ranging interview with former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, Toure explained his fears.

"Last year in the dressing room Messi jokingly said he will nutmeg me. I saw him nutmeg two of my team-mates (Fernandinho and James Milner) and I thought he’d do it to me," Toure said.

"Whenever he came near me I screamed inside 'please not me, don’t nutmeg me'. I was afraid he’d embarrass me in front of my family."

Barcelona went on to win that second leg match at the Camp Nou 1-0, thanks to a goal from Ivan Rakitic - with the assist from Messi.

Toure expressed his belief that Messi was the best player he had played with, and against.

"Messi is a type of a genius. Playing with him is fantastic, against him - the worst," Toure - the reigning four-times African Football of the Year - said.

It’s not the first time Ferdinand has asked a former team-mate of Messi what he is like to play with.

In a 2014 interview with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, the Frenchman explained that Messi was like no player he'd ever seen before.

"When Messi wouldn’t get a foul in training he would get annoyed. He would go to the goalkeeper and demand him to just to drop the ball so he can past the whole opposition," Henry recalled.

"Meanwhile this is Barcelona’s training, so if he has to go all the way he has to go past Yaya Toure, (Sergio) Busquets, (Rafael) Marquez and (Carles) Puyol. He did it. 1-0.

"I don’t know a lot of people who can do that. In my career I didn’t see that."

Toure did not only offer his insights on Messi, but also City team-mate Sergio Aguero and ex-City ace Carlos Tevez.

"Aguero in training is just normal, he’s just clever, he reserves himself for the game," Toure said.

“Like Carlos Tevez, you’ve (Ferdinand) been working with him, when you get him on your team in training you’re definitely going to lose," Toure said laughing.

"He doesn’t move in training," Ferdinand confirmed.

"But in a game he’s different, because these guys are totally dedicated to the match," Toure concluded.