I have seen Lionel Messi cry: Alexis Sanchez

Reuters

Highlighting the fact that the life of a footballer can be tough at times due to several reasons, Manchester United key forward Alexis Sanchez revealed he has seen football superstar Lionel Messi break down after a match.

Sanchez, 29, was a team-mate of Messi when he plied his trade for Barcelona from 2011 to 2014.

The Chilean told Arsenal great Thierry Henry in an interview with Sky Sports that like him he wanted to play alongside the best players in the game.

He also revealed that to live a luxurious life you need to put in a lot of effort as a footballer.

"During my childhood, my dream was the same as yours: to be a footballer and to play with the best. Sometimes in South America that can be harder than here in Europe, because we dream of coming to Europe," Sanchez said.

"Maybe I' d be working in the region where I`m from, doing other things. I think football saves many people. It can give you a life of luxury, but people don' t see all the effort that goes in behind the scenes.

"That might mean not seeing your family, or missing your mother' s birthday, many players are so focused that they miss the birth of their children.

"You might cry during a game if you lose a final. That' s all part of football. In the Barcelona dressing room after the Chelsea game, I saw Leo (Messi) cry. That' s because players demand so much from themselves. People don' t see that," the 29-year-old added.