Sunderland midfielder Alfred N'Diaye believes that Stephane Sessegnon is the Black Cats' version of Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
The Benin international has been in fine form under Paolo Di Canio, scoring twice in the Italian's three games in charge in wins over Newcastle United and Everton.
N'Diaye told reporters: "He is Messi! The fans love him and all of his team-mates love him too.
"He is a great guy, a good character and the biggest thing is he is a very good player.
"For me, he is the best player in this team. He has very good quality and it is very good for us that he is a Sunderland player."
Sunderland face Aston Villa later today in a crunch match at the bottom of the Premier League.
