KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) winger Arif Aiman Hanapi has shrugged off his "Malaysian Messi" nickname, saying he sees himself as an ordinary player who relies on hard work and discipline.
The 24-year-old was featured in a documentary by British YouTube creator Manny (Emmanuel Brown), who visited the Southern Tigers' facilities at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium and the club's training centre.
When Manny raised comparisons with Lionel Messi, Arif laughed off the tag.
"Not Messi. People only call me Messi, not the player," Arif said.
"I play like a normal player... like always, consistency. Hard work, passion, everything."
Asked about his main strengths on the pitch, Arif pointed to his directness and ability to break down defences.
"For me, it is the duels, dribbling, one-to-one, (and) assists," he said.
Arif's rise from academy prospect to one of Asian football's leading attacking talents was also praised by JDT striker Bergson da Silva.
Bergson described the winger as a role model for youngsters coming through the club's development system.
"I think Arif is the example to all of them. This is a crucial example, because he came from there," Bergson said.
"Like when I first came here, he was just one young player. And then today, I mean nowadays, he is one of the very important players that we have in this squad."
Arif had scored 61 goals and provided 66 assists in 170 appearances for JDT as of October 2025, becoming the club's highest-scoring local player.
He has also scored eight goals in the AFC Champions League Elite, according to club statistics.
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