“I only ever felt this with him and Leo” - Fabregas mentions special quality possessed only by Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry out of all his teammates

Former Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas believes Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry possessed a special quality which put them a league apart from others. The Spanish midfielder rose through the ranks at Barcelona, playing together with the Argentinian.

Fabregas left Camp Nou in 2003 for Arsenal, where he teamed up with the legendary Frenchman. For the next four years, the Spaniard shared the pitch with Henry, winning the FA Cup in 2005.

Fabregas ultimately returned to Barcelona in 2011, where he was reunited with Lionel Messi. By then, the Argentinian was one of the best players in the world and was cutting defenses apart. They worked in tandem for the next three seasons before the Spaniard left to join Chelsea.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football Podcast, the current head coach of Serie A side Como said that he felt stronger whenever the Argentinian or the Frenchman was in his team.

“Thierry [Henry] I think together with Lionel Messi are the two players who I felt much stronger when I was on a football pitch. It is like saying 'Okay, this could not be my day, the team could not play well' but you know you will always have Thierry Henry there to save the day," said Fabregas.

He continued:

“There were games in the later part of my career, let's say the last 8-10 years, I didn't feel that any game was easy. Maybe when you are playing with Messi you can feel the confidence that he will make something special but always with Thierry."

He concluded:

"We were playing Everton at home and we were in the tunnel at Highbury before stepping onto the pitch and it is difficult to explain because I don't want it to sound weird or arrogant. But I just knew we were going to win. That was the power of having Thierry there. I only ever felt this with him and Leo."

Is Lionel Messi the greatest of all time?

Lionel Messi achieved tremendous success with the Catalans, winning every trophy available, before leaving Camp Nou in 2021. After a two-season stay with Paris Saint-German (PSG), the 37-year-old joined Inter Miami last summer and currently plays in the MLS.

The Argentinian has also cemented his place in football folklore by winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He has a record eight Ballons d'Or to his name and has won the European Golden Shoe six times in his career.

The 37-year-old won his second Copa America trophy with La Albiceleste this summer.

Interestingly, Lionel Messi shared the pitch with Thierry Henry at Barcelona for three seasons from 2007 to 2010. Having seen both players from close quarters, Fabregas insisted that they exhibited an aura of invincibility that oozed into their teammates.