Former Genclerbirligi youth coach Erol Tokgözler has recalled working with Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler.

Tokgözler coached Guler before he left for Fenerbache.

He recalled to AS: " met him when I was 13 years old, when I was still in school. When he arrived at Genclerbirligi, I was one of his teachers (currently he is still a physical education teacher), as well as his coach. One of my colleagues, before I met him, had already warned me that Arda was something exceptional.

"Incredible, it was incredible. It was clear that he was a special player. His football was based on doing everything he thought, it was impossible to predict where he was going to go. Dribbling, cutting, shooting... he had, and has, a huge arsenal."

He added: "(Lionel) Messi is the biggest I have ever seen and Arda has great abilities. Messi has already achieved everything and Arda has to do it, he is still a child. But if we talk about potential purely, Arda has more potential than Messi.

"Although he still has a long way to go. His football is in the initial phase, he must play many games to become the player he can be. But, as I say, Arda's potential is better than Messi's. Just talking about potential, of course."