The touching story behind Messi's goal celebration

Messi has given us some memorable celebrations as a Barcelona player. Notable examples include: the way he kissed his boot after scoring past Edwin Van der Saar in the 2009 Champions League final and the way he presented his shirt a baying Bernabeu crowd in last April's 'Clásico'. These are two examples that will certainly  live long in the memory.

However, it is notable that after all of these celebrations Messi always makes the same gesture, looking to the sky and pointing upwards with both forefingers. The reason behind this gesture is thought to be his maternal grandmother, Celia. Celia passed away when Messi was just 10 years old and she left a huge impression on the Rosario-born star.

As it turns out it was Messi's grandmother who took him to a football pitch for the first time, back when he was just four. Celia ended up arguing with the coach, who didn't want to play Messi due to his small stature. However, Celia's insistence paid off, the youngster was brought on as a substitute and scored two goals as his team won the match.

Hence why every time the Barcelona man has scored one of his 500+ career goals he has dedicated it to his grandmother who was a huge part of his family and also a fundamental pillar of his footballing career.