Nicolas Dominguez of Nottingham Forest has revealed how Lionel Messi has influenced him.
After arriving in the summer, the 25-year-old Argentine made his debut against Manchester City. He was also in the spotlight over the weekend after helping Forest grab a point against Brentford in a 1-1 draw at the City Ground.
After joining the team from Bologna, he scored his first goal. Dominguez described what it’s like to share a dressing room with one of the world’s finest players, Lionel Messi.
“It is obviously a really unique experience having to train and play alongside Messi,” Dominguez said. “The big thing about him is there isn’t a day that goes by when he doesn’t surprise you by doing something so good that it really takes you all by surprise.
”But the story I’ll keep with me forever was his team talk before the Copa America final, when we beat Brazil. It was filmed for a documentary by Amazon, but the basic message was that we had come through so much during Covid and that we now had the chance to support the Argentine people who had been through so much.
“There was so much at stake because we had gone so long without winning and Messi captured that for us. The Spanish say ‘you have a rucksack on your back’ when you are playing under big pressure – but that weight was lifted off us when we won the Copa America.
“It was a weight that the players in that squad did not really deserve to be carrying, given what they had achieved in other ways in their careers.”
“It was always a dream of mine to come to England,” Dominguez said of his transfer to Trentside. I’ve always followed a variety of Premier League teams, but Manchester United was always my favorite, especially during the Ronaldo and Giggs period.
“For many years, it has been by far the best league in the world for me.” I was able to spend some time as a visitor in London last year. London is extremely different from Nottingham, yet I enjoyed both the country and the city back then.
“I just appreciate the vibe of this restaurant. I enjoy the country and England.”