Barcelona mark anniversary of Lionel Messi arrival at the club 14 years ago

Spanish club post picture from 2001 on Twitter

Lionel Messi (GETTY IMAGES)

Barcelona were today marking the anniversary of when Lionel Messi arrived at the club as a 13-year-old.

That day was now 14 years ago and in the intervening years the Argentinian has established himself as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

As well as winning a multitude of personal accolades, including four Ballon d'Or awards, Messi has also helped Barcelona to six La Liga titles and three Champions League victories.

When Messi arrived at Barcelona as a kid he was immediately noted for his incredible ability, but also how small he was. Barcelona were to finance growth hormone treatment for the teenage in a move that will go down as one of the smartest in the club's history.

To mark today's anniversary, Barcelona posted an official document from 2001 featuring a passport style photo of Messi at the time.

Messi has two goals to his name so far this season with Barcelona sitting top of La Liga after three games.