AC Milan midfielder, Tijjani Reijnders, has revealed why he named his dog after Argentina legend, Lionel Messi.
The 26-year-old Dutchman joined AC Milan from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in 2023 for a reported transfer price of €20 million.
Meanwhile, Messi who the dog is named after has won the Ballon d’Or eight times and is widely considered one of the greatest players to have played the game.
He is a legend of Barcelona, the highest goalscorer in the history of European football with 704 goals and 303 assists in 853 games
Mess, who currently plays for Inter Miami in the US, has also scored a whopping 112 goals and created a joint-record 58 more in 191 games.
In a previous interview published by Sempremilan, Reijnders had revealed that his dog is a Pomsky, a cross between a Pomeranian and a Husky.
He has now via All About Argentina revealed why he named his dog Messi.
“My dog’s name is Messi, when I was young I always said if I got a dog I would name him Messi, because for me [he] is the best player in the world.
“Then we decided we would get a dog, and the first thing I said to my wife is if we got a dog we would name him Messi.”