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Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has compared current teammate Jack Grealish to footballing icon Lionel Messi.

It’s difficult to listen to anyone who attempts to compare a player to Messi, as the 33-year-old Barcelona attacker is a true great of the game with 651 goals in 758 club appearances.

But Argentine shot-stopper Martinez has had the privilege of training with both.

The 28-year-old goalkeeper is yet to earn his first cap for the South American giants, but has been involved in the squad during the past couple of years.

Despite recognising Messi as the greatest of all time, Martinez has made a genuine comparison between him and the Villa captain.

Grealish, 25, has seen his reputation soar in the past year, as he’s now in the England squad and is delivering every game in a Villa shirt.

“He is the most talented player that I’ve ever seen. He just never gives the ball away,” Martinez told talkSPORT.

“He will drive past two, three players. I just see Messi with a right foot when he’s on the ball. You can’t get the ball off him. I think he’s the most talented English player and I’m surprised he’s never played so many games for England.

“Messi is Messi, he’s the best ever. But in terms of training when Jack is on the ball people don’t want to tackle him, they respect him on the ball, he can finish, he can chop, he can do everything. Messi the same. I can see in the national team when I train with Messi no one wants to touch him.”

TBR’s View:

Grealish should be honoured by the praise from teammate Martinez, who may be showing some club bias.

But there is no denying that Grealish has gone to a new level.

The left-winger now has seven goals and 12 assists in just 22 games across all competitions this season.

An intriguing comment is about Grealish’s lack of game time for England due to the fact he’s earned just three caps so far, but surely it’ll be impossible for Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate to overlook him based on his current form.