'He died alone like a dog. We didn't protect him. I don't like to think about it because I blame myself' Argentina legend Gabriel Batistuta opens up on regrets over 'hero' Diego Maradona

Gabriel Batistuta realised a childhood dream when he lined up next to the legendary Diego Maradona for Argentina.

'Batigol' played alongside his hero only during the latter years of Maradona's career in the early 1990s, but the pair quickly struck up a relationship despite a nine-year age gap.

The legendary duo were in devastating form as Argentina thrashed Greece 4-0 in their 1994 World Cup opener, with Batistuta scoring a hat-trick and Maradona adding a brilliant strike of his own - but the joy was short-lived for the iconic No.10, who failed a drugs test after the following match against Nigeria and never played for his country again.

'I don't know why, but he loved me' Batistuta opens up on special relationship with Maradona

Maradona struggled with drug addiction in the latter years of his playing career and suffered from a number of health issues following his retirement, before dying from a heart attack at his home in November 2020, aged 60.

His personal issues were well-documented and Batistuta revealed he wishes he had done more to support the 1986 World Cup winner.

Appearing on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the former striker said: "He loved me. I don't know why, but he loved me. He always said good things about me.

"He was my hero. Even if I didn't like soccer, I had his poster in my room, and then I played with him.

"My first World Cup match was Argentina against Greece, 4-0 for us. I scored three and he scored one. He scored his last goal for the national team.

"That was unbelievable because when I scored three goals I was thinking, 'Now when I go out the journalists are going to be all around me, asking what I feel and asking me everything'. And it never happened because Diego scored one, so he took the spotlight. For me, Diego was a great person, with his problems, but he was a great person.

"I always tried to tell him the truth, even if he was 10 years older than me. But when I feel something, I am able to say it, and probably that made him respect me."

Batistuta, now 57, added: "His problem was he was famous when he was six years old. He grew up, and his family saw in him a way to escape from that situation. And I don't blame anybody. It's long to explain. Nobody said no to him when he was young. Everything was okay. That was a big mistake.

"It's a shame, because he was a great person, and he died alone. Nobody was with him. He died like a dog, and no, no, we didn't do much for him.

"We didn't do much to protect him, and that is something I don't like to think about, because I blame myself too, because I was one of his key supporters. If you want somebody, you need to help when they need it, even if they are tough to treat."

Batistuta became a legend himself during a brilliant career and held Argentina's all-time goalscoring record, with 55 goals in 78 games, until Lionel Messi surpassed him in 2016.

Messi emulated Maradona by leading the Albiceleste to World Cup glory in Qatar four years ago, but Batistuta looks beyond records and trophies when comparing the two.

"I think they are different," he said. "Because Messi scored 1,000 goals, and Maradona scored 200, maybe. Messi is a quiet boy. Maradona wasn't.

"For me, Maradona was the top because he could play, he could manage the referee, the opponent - he was able to do unbelievable things. Messi can do that too, but I think he has another charisma."

Head to the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel to watch the full interview.