Ex-Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure relishes experience with 'perfect teammate' Lionel Messi

Yaya Toure has described his playing experience with 'perfect teammate' Lionel Messi as an enjoyable one that won trophies.

After a brief spell in Monaco, the 35-year-old joined the five-time Ballon d'Or winner at Camp Nou in 2007 and they both helped the Blaugrana to win several laurels.

The four-time African Footballer of the Year won the Uefa Super Cup, Uefa Champions League, LaLiga, Copa del Rey amongst other titles before switching to England to join Manchester City in 2010.

Though it was an early period in Messi's Barcelona career, Toure who has been without a club since he departed Olympiacos in December showered encomium on the 31-year-old's personality.

"Messi is such a strange character. He is different and special," Toure told BBC Sport.

"You never hear him talking a lot and he is always concentrating and focusing on his football.

"He is a perfect teammate and enjoyable to play with.

"You give him a pass with two or three players around him and it is so difficult to get the ball from him.

"For me, the guy has taken football to another level. He is always ahead of his opponents and his teammates.

"To train with him, he adapts to you and you have to adapt to him.

"When you play with him, he will win trophies. He always wants to play in all the games."

Messi helped Ernesto Valverde's men secure a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the first leg of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final fixture with an assist for Luis Suarez's header that was deflected by Luke Shaw to the back of the net.

The Argentine forward currently leads Barcelona's charge for a treble of Uefa Champions League, Spanish LaLiga and Copa del Rey titles with 43 goals in 41 outings across all competitions.