Garath McCleary used to spend Saturday afternoons sitting quietly in a tin shack contemplating dreams of professional football, writes RUPERT FRYER.

Earphones in, the Oxford-born youngster would zone out to Eminem’s stirring, Oscar-winning anthem Lose Yourself, convinced he would take his ‘one shot’.

Today’s the day as he plays against the legendary Lionel Messi.

The former Oxford City winger, who now plays for Reading, will be taking the field for Jamaica as they face Argentina and four-time world player-ofthe-year Messi in the Copa America in Chile.

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“Messi’s the very best in the world – it will be fantastic to go up against him,” said the 28-year-old ahead of the game at the Estadio Sausalito in the city of Vina del Mar, With just ten nations in South American football, Mexico and Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz were invited to boost the numbers and increase international TV audiences.

“I feel so proud,” said McCleary.

It’s a great opportunity to pit our wits against some of the best in the world.”

His journey has been considerably longer than the 7,000 mile trip to South America.

While Barcelona snatched Messi from Argentina’s inland port city of Rosario at just 13-years-old, McCleary failed to earn contracts at Oxford United and Leicester City before joining Oxford City in 2004.

It wasn’t for a lack of talent. “Managers would just say, ‘get the ball to G’,” says Abingdon United’s record scorer Anaclet Odhiambo, who played with ‘G’ at Slough Town in 2006.

“Oxford is a small place and everyone knew he was destined for bigger things, he just needed that break,”

It arrived the following year. A Nottingham Forest scout cameto watch another player at Bromley, but it was McCleary who stood out.

“It’s just about getting that chance,”

said the former Oxford & Cherwell Valley College student. “I signed with Forest and haven’t looked back.”

He moved closer to home in 2012, joining Reading and achieving his dream of Premier League football.

Within a year he’d been called up to represent the birthplace of his parents.

“There is a huge pride in representing my country,” he said.

Jamaica opened the tournament with 1-0 defeat against 15-time winners Uruguay before going down to the same scoreline against former Oxford United manager Ramon Diaz’s Paraguay.

“Things are looking up for Jamaican football,” says McCleary,.

Messi debuted for Barcelona in front of over 30,000 at just 17.

McCleary had to wait until he was almost 21 to make his professional bow.

But tonight they go toe-to-toe on an even footing.