For the past decade, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been locked in a head-to-head battle for football supremacy.
The La Liga stars have traded the coveted Ballon d’Or award for each of the past nine years, marking an incredible period of dominance.
And it doesn’t look as if anybody will be replacing Messi or Ronaldo at the top any time soon.
The Barcelona maestro is at the peak of his powers right now. He’s scored 38 goals already this season, including six in his past four games.
And Ronaldo came to Real Madrid’s rescue in their recent draw with Las Palmas, scoring two goals in the final five minutes to keep Los Blancos within a point of Barcelona.
Neymar and Paulo Dybala are among those tipped to replace Messi and Ronaldo one day, but both have a very, very long way to go.
Many young, aspiring football fans have found themselves watching a video of Messi or Ronaldo in their spare time. You can learn a great deal about dribbling by watching Messi, while the Portuguese presents an ideal image of the fitness level needed to succeed.
Redknapp wants players to watch someone else
But former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes there is another player who children should be watching if they want to reach the top, and he plays in the Premier League.
Redknapp believes Chelsea’s indomitable midfielder, N’Golo Kante, is an ideal player for the next generation to study.
Kante has been fantastic for the Blues this season; his energy and defensive skills helping the west London side reach the Premier League’s summit. And Redknapp is a huge fan of the Frenchman, calling him a “modern-day phenomenon”.
“N’Golo Kante is Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Claude Makelele rolled into one,” Redknapp wrote for the Daily Mail. “I’ve never seen a player like him. All action, all over the pitch.
“Young players these days will say 'I am a defensive midfielder', but why do they do that? Kante is a midfielder. Not attacking, not defensive. I've never seen a player with so much energy, chasing lost causes and turning over possession.
'Watching Messi is unrealistic'
“My advice would be: watch him, do not pigeonhole yourself as a defensive midfielder. Work on your all-round game.
“When parents tell their children, 'Watch Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi', that is unrealistic. What they should be doing is pointing them toward Kante's showreel.”
We understand where Redknapp is coming from, but it’s wishful thinking. Convincing young footballers to snub their dreams of becoming the next Messi in favour of becoming a defensive midfield-machine will always be difficult.
That feeling of scoring a goal will always surpass that of making a tackle.