Ilkay Gundogan Says Lionel Messi Is 'The Greatest Footballer of All Time'

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has backed Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi not only as the best footballer of his generation, but in the history of the sport. 

Gundogan, on international duty with Germany, gave his take on why Messi holds a special place in football's pantheon of greats:

Per Goal's Dejan Kalinic, he said:

"In my opinion, he has very special abilities. He has talent, and he always manages to show it on the pitch. He always has the instinct to make the right decision.

"He uses his speed well against the opponents he plays. He has a strong finish. All in all, no one else has as much quality as Lionel Messi.

"He is the star player of my generation and the greatest footballer of all time. I hope we get to watch him play for a few more years."

Messi boasts an astonishing record of 680 career goals and 291 assists in 834 appearances for club and country.

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo is frequently lauded as this generation's greatest goalscorer—and perhaps the best of all time—but the Argentinian overtook him in club goals in October. He did so despite being two years younger and having played 118 fewer matches.

Despite missing the start of this season through injury, Messi is in as impressive form as ever:

On Saturday, he bagged the 52nd hat-trick of his career with a penalty and two free-kicks in a 4-1 win over Celta Vigo:

Set pieces weren't even one of Messi's biggest strengths until relatively recently, but he's now far and away the deadliest free-kick taker on the planet:

Ben Hayward of the Evening Standard suggested he may yet cement himself as the best dead-ball specialist in history, too:

Messi is still 25 short of Juninho Pernambucano's record of 77 direct free-kick goals, but if he maintains his incredible conversion rate it could be possible before he retires.

Numbers aside, what often separates Messi from his rivals is that he excels in so many aspects of the game. Far more than just a goalscorer, he's one of the best passers and playmakers the game has ever seen and one of the best dribblers, too.

He's 32 now and will soon be entering the twilight years of his storied career. When Messi hangs up his boots, Gundogan will be far from the only one who will miss watching him play.