Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has admitted that he still pinches himself to imagine he shared the same pitch with Lionel Messi while representing Argentina.

Allister said this when reflecting on the fact that he will represent Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar alongside his hero Messi.

“I didn’t even want to say hello to him, I was shaking!” he told Brighton website.

“It was amazing to play alongside him in those two matches last year in the qualifiers, he’s my favourite player and I’m looking forward to playing many more games with him.

“The players at Brighton ask me what he’s like and I explain that he’s an ordinary guy, quite quiet. I don’t speak a lot with him but he’s a nice guy.”

The midfielder said he still recalls his first encounter with the PSG and former Barcelona maestro.

The 23-year-old midfielder played a part alongside Messi in helping Argentina qualify for the World Cup.

Mac Allister will go to the World Cup while enjoying his best season with Albion who beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Saturday.