Football icon Lionel Messi (Image: Rich Storry)

Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva has dismissed comparisons between Estevao Willian and Lionel Messi and has urged people not to apply too much pressure on the Chelsea youngster.

The 18-year-old has sparkled since signing from Palmeiras in the summer, with the teenager making the big transition look fairly seamless. Of course there is much more to a transition than just his form on the pitch, but in that regard, Estevao has been superb.

The Brazil international, who scored twice for his country in their 5-0 win over South Korea on Friday, won the match against Liverpool before the international break, with the winger scoring a stoppage time goal - his first for the club - to send Stamford Bridge into ecstasy. There is plenty of talk around Estevao at the moment, with some even comparing him to Messi, arguably the greatest footballer of all time - with the teen's nickname 'Messinho' or 'Little Messi'.

Gilberto, though, was quick to play down comparisons between the Brazilian and the Argentine. The former Arsenal man, however, did predict the £29million signing to become one of the best footballers in the world in the future.

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