One of the brightest stars FC Barcelona, a team with no shortage of world-class talent, is a young Argentinean player who has played with Barcelonas youth team since his early teens.

Aged 11, his diagnosis with growth hormone deficiency in Argentina coincided with the collapse of the Argentinean economy and neither the Messi family nor Club Atltico River Plate, which had expressed an interest in the player, could afford the treatment.

The saviour of Lionel or Leo, as he his commonly called came when Barcelonas sporting director saw him play for his local club, Newell's Old Boys. Carles Rexach put an offer on the table that his parents were simply unable to refuse to pay his medical bills in exchange for his family was willing to move to Spain and play in the FC Barcelona youth team, an offer that must have seemed like divine intervention at the time. His performance soon saw him making regular appearances in the Barcelona B team and in 30 matches he scored 37 goals.

Leo Messi made his first appearance in the first team against local rivals RCD Espanyol in October 2004, while May 2005 saw his first goal for the main FC Barcelona team. His appearances in the first team remained sporadic, with Frank Rijkaard seemingly easing him into the first team, but he remained a popular player with the clubs supporters and frequently displayed footballing magic on a par with Ronaldinho.

His appearances became more regular throughout the 2005-2006 season, but he received a setback in March after injuring his thigh in a Champions League match against Chelsea. Barcelona went on to win both the League and Champions League titles, with Messi playing no small part in the success of the team.

Finally at the beginning of the 2006-2007 season Messi was awarded his first team number. Until this point he had worn the number 30 shirt signifying his status as B team, but he was now promoted to 19. However he received another setback in November when he was once again laid off through injury - this time a broken metatarsal prevented him playing for three months.

His recovery saw his return in February, in time to play Real Madrid in the Classic. The match, played in March, saw a game fought hard on both sides and FC Barcelona were able to score a 3-3 equalizer in the last minute. Incredibly Leo Messi was responsible for all Barcelonas goals!

If he can keep injury free then the future for Lionel Messi remains bright. He constantly demonstrates a resolve to put the ball in the back of the net and his footballing skills, while perhaps not as flashy as Ronaldinho, show equal genius. While internationally he plays with Argentina he seems home in Barcelona and we can only hope that the club is able to prevent him from being lured away by some bigger, better offer. Only time will tell.

David Leigh lives in Barcelona, where he makes irregular appearances at the Nou Camp stadium, home to Futbol Club Barcelona.

If you are visiting the city and want to see a match you can reserve FC Barcelona Tickets in advance.

Clothes make the man, and the woman, and the mountain biker. Looking good on the trails is almost as great a concern among mountain biking enthusiasts as having the best biking and safety equipment they can possibly afford. Mountain biking clothing, in fact, can take a significant chunk out of a bikers budget; having new designer biking togs to show off at the next big group trail ride is almost as much fun as being on the ride itself.

The mountain biking clothes which correlate to Ralph Lauren Weekend in mainstream fashion are those of Zoic. Zoic combines color, innovative design, and unparalleled craftsmanship in mountain biking clothing lines for men, women, and children of every level of mountain biking skill. They have comfortable shirts and shorts to appeal to all.

Zoic Mountain Biking Apparel

The Zoic Libertee Shirt for Men is extremely popular both for its comfort and the quality of its construction. The design of the Libertee sends a clear signal that its wearer knows great mountain biking clothing when he sees it.

Zoics El Diablo Jersey is a mens shirt constructed of fabric ideal for long distance tiding. Its cutting-edge design separates it from traditional mountain biking shirts, with an easy zipping mechanism to provide extra comfort while maintaining the high fashion look which has made Zoic mountain biking clothes the leaders among the sports enthusiasts.

The Zoic Epoch Short is a mens short with a twin zipper to supply comfort with extra support and ventilation.

The Zoic Ether Short for Men, a highest quality nylon short, allows its wearers maximum freedom to move and, therefore, maximum comfort. It offers the convenience of side pockets in which the biker can stow all his biking accessories

The Zoic Crosswind Sleeveless Shirt is a piece of mountain biking clothing that allows women mountain bikers to emphasize their femininity and remain cool by going sleeveless as they ride.

Finally, the Zoic Bellis for Women is the perfect mountain clothing for women who are competitive mountain bikers. Its constructed of a jersey fabric which offers both the comfortable functionality and good looks that make its wearers feel good init and good about themselves for wearing it!

You can also find more info on Mountain Biking Dirt Jumps and Mountain Biking Gear. Mountainbikingreviews.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about mountain biking reviews.