Mac Allister opens up on his Liverpool future, praises Messi

Alexis Mac Allister doesn't dance around questions about his future at Liverpool. In an interview with ESPN, the Argentine midfielder laid out exactly how he sees his contract situation and, along the way, heaped praise on Lionel Messi. Two topics, one common thread: gratitude and the calm of someone who knows things tend to sort themselves out sooner or later.

Just a few weeks ago, Mac Allister admitted he felt "really sad" that the club hadn't yet offered him a new deal. It stung, in particular, to watch his midfield partners, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai, get that offer while he was still waiting. Even so, when summer arrived and he had chances to leave, he chose to stay at Anfield.

Now, with a bit more perspective, he'd rather not make a big deal of it. "There's no firm decision yet. I still have two years left on my contract. Like I said, I'm going to give everything. A lot can happen in that time, there are quite a few possibilities," he explained.

"Hopefully it's for more years, but if it's just two, I'll have to enjoy them with my family, because I have no doubt I'm at one of the best clubs in the world."Alexis Mac Allister

The former Brighton man will be back on the pitch with Liverpool on October 11, when the team hosts Manchester City at Anfield following the international break.

What's next for Argentina without Messi

The conversation also turned to the Argentine national team and what lies ahead once Messi is no longer part of it. Mac Allister was direct: the squad will need to "grow as a unit" to face that new chapter.

"The words for Messi are always the same: gratitude, and the certainty that there will never be another like him. We enjoyed the time we shared with him enormously," he said. He added that the farewell "is going to be a very emotional moment," on top of thanking Messi for everything he helped Argentina win.

On the generational shift ahead, he was just as honest: "It's going to be a different process, with new players coming in. We have to start accepting that the best player in the world, the one who made the difference, isn't going to be there anymore, and that we're going to have to grow as a team. That's going to be the most important thing."

Can Messi win another Ballon d'Or?

He was also asked whether Messi, at 39 years old, has a shot at this year's Ballon d'Or. His answer left no doubt: "Yes, obviously. As Argentines we'd love for Messi to win it. He had an incredible World Cup and I don't see why he shouldn't win it."

Mac Allister also offered a thought on how these awards get voted on these days: "You understand that nowadays the numbers carry a lot of weight, which wasn't as much the case before, and you don't really know exactly what people end up voting on. But everyone in the running is a great player; whoever comes out on top will deserve it. We all know Leo always put the team ahead of individual achievements, so it wouldn't be a big deal to him either way."

Messi is set to bid farewell to the Argentine national team as its all time leading scorer and its player with the most caps, with 125 goals in 207 appearances wearing the Albiceleste jersey.