Zinedine Zidane told me I have the best left foot since Lionel Messi, says in-form Real Madrid star Marco Asensio

The 21-year-old Spanish international midfielder has scored four goals in six games for Real already this season

The 21-year-old has scored four goals in six games for Real already this season (Getty)

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane reckons only Lionel Messi has a better left foot in world football than Marco Asensio.

This is what he has told the 21-year-old Spainish international who has hit the ground running so far this season, scoring four goals in six matches for Zidane's side - all of them impressive strikes from distance with his left peg.

It continued an impressive run of scoring this summer, which included a hat-trick for Spain's U21 side at the European Championships and a goal for Real in their 4-1 Champions League final win over

Juventus in May.

"Zidane told me that since Messi, he had never seen a left foot like mine," Asensio told Spanish radio station COPE ahead of his side's Champions League opener against Greek team Apoel Nicosia.

"I was a little impressed, because Messi is a piece of a footballer."

Real trail Messi's Barcelona in La Liga after three games, sitting four points behind them, as the Catalans have made a 100% start to the season despite losing star man Neymar to PSG for a world record £166million in the summer.​

Asensio, who will be looking to add to his four goals so far this season against Apoel on Wednesday night, added he was surprised Barcelona had let Neymar leave.


 Asensio is on form so far this season with that magic left foot 
 (Getty Images)

He added: "We thought it was strange that Neymar left Barcelona.

"He was an important player for them and they couldn't hold onto him. It seemed a bit strange."