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More often than not, when a player is in top form they are compared to football's elite.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been the yardsticks for some time, and now Liverpool star Xherdan Shaqiri is drawing comparisons to one of them.

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Thorsten Fink has claimed that the Switzerland international possesses a natural ability, just like Messi.

While speaking to ESPN, he said:

"Cristiano Ronaldo, he worked for what he achieved, but Messi, he had it. He didn't have to work for this talent. Ronaldo must work for this -- work with this body, work with everything. For me, Messi has this talent. That's also for Shaqiri.

"He has this talent to play. If he works very professionally, he can be the best player for Liverpool."

Shaqiri's arrival at Liverpool in the summer was met with uncertainty from the fans given that the attack-minded player was relegated from the Premier League with Stoke City.

Since becoming part of Jurgen Klopp's team, though, the 27-year-old has hugely impressed the club's following.

For the most part, Shaqiri has had to settle for cameo appearances, but he started and scored against Fulham on Sunday.

In total, the winger has made 10 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and registering two assists.

Shaqiri will be hoping to secure a starting role when Liverpool take on Watford away after the international break on November 24.

After reading Fink's comparisons between the Swiss pro and Messi, plenty of Liverpool fans posted tongue-in-cheek comments on Reddit.