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Former Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic has insisted that football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not ideal role models for young players.
Bojan was heralded as football's next big thing when he broke into the Barcelona first team at just 17 years old.
Despite a burst of promise and huge acclaim, the now 33-year-old striker failed to live up to the billing and has now sounded a note of warning to young players looking to make it in football.
Bojan believes young players should not model their career paths after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bojan: Why young players should not emulate Messi and Ronaldo
Speaking to Spanish publication AS, The ex-Stoke City man said:
"Neither Messi nor Cristiano nor Rafa Nadal are ordinary cases. They cannot be an example for young people.
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"They are extraordinary. Success is not that. It is only going to happen to them. Success can be applied to many scenarios,"
Ronaldo and Messi are two of the most iconic sportsmen of this generation, often cited as the best role models for young footballers.
Messi led Argentina to World Cup triumph in Qatar last year and just won a record-extending 8th Ballon d'Or.
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