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WATCH: Tottenham's Erik Lamela spurned Barcelona as a child
ERIK LAMELA has taken another step to fulfilling his destiny after joining Tottenham.
In 2004 a film crew travelled to Argentina to interview a 12-year-old Lamela who was already making headlines after scoring 120 for River Plate's youth side the previous season.
In the video, before the rise of Lionel Messi, Lamela declares his wish to follow in the footsteps of Diego Maradona and win a World Cup for Argentina.
He says: "I hope to be a great footballer, just like Maradona."
And Lamela admits that a move to England was on his mind even as a 12-year-old, saying: "One day I'd like to play abroad in England, France or Spain."
Whilst Lamela ended up being brought to Europe by Roma in 2011, he could equally have ended up a Barcelona player.
After joining River Plate as a 7-year-old Barcelona reportedly offered Lamela and his family US$160,000 (£100,000) a year, as well as a house and employment for his parents, to move to Catalonia, in a similar deal to the one that saw Messi move to Spain as a youngster.
However, nine years on from when the film was first shot a 21-year-old Lamela finds himself looking to continue his development in England with Spurs.
While he no doubt has some considerable work to do to being compared to his idol Maradona, Spurs fans will be happy if he can merely fill the boots of the departing Gareth Bale.
Lamela, it seems, will also have at least half an eye on teaming up with Messi at next summer's World Cup in a bid to take yet another step in his bid to emulate Maradona.