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Mallorca youngster Luka Romero has said he does not like being compared to Barcelona star Lionel Messi as he looks to make his own name in football.
Romero, 15, made headlines in June when he became the youngest player to ever play in La Liga after coming off the bench for the final 10 minutes of Mallorca’s 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid.
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Prior to his debut, the Spanish press had already dubbed him the “Mexican Messi” due to parallels with the Barca forward.
While he was born in Mexico, where his father was playing football at the time, he comes from an Argentine family. He moved to Spain at a young age, is left-footed and has a playing style which is similar to Messi.
“It annoys me because there’s only one Messi and I want to make my own name in football as Luka Romero,” the teenager said in an interview with Fox Sports when asked about the comparisons with the six-time World Player of the Year.
However, Romero does name Messi as his idol, along with Argentina legend Diego Maradona, and said he is desperate to meet him one day.
“Messi and Maradona [are my idols],” he added. “My dad used to show me videos of them both.
“I’ve never met Messi properly. I went to the [Barca] team hotel once and got a photograph with him but I don’t know him.
“It would be a dream to meet him. He has always been my idol and I would be so happy to meet him.”
If Romero’s progress continues, he could even line up alongside Messi for the Argentine national team in the coming years.
Despite being eligible for Mexico, Argentina and Spain, he has made it clear that his preference, if possible, is to play for La Albiceleste at international level.
“I was born in Mexico but my family is from Argentina,” he said. “I have three nationalities, including Spanish, but if they want me, I will play for Argentina.”
Romero started out playing for the academy at Spanish side Formentera before moving to Mallorca, who were relegated from La Liga last weekend. He has courted interest from Barca and Madrid in the past.
When he was just seven, he excelled in a trial with Barca but the Catalan club were unable to sign him because he was too young to live alone in La Masia at the time.