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Whenever a record is broken, the adulation is rightly reserved for the new holder with the now beaten man a mere footnote.

But for Lionel Messi, who in 2012 broke a goalscoring record that had stood for 40 years, one of his first thoughts was for Gerd Muller, the German striker who could no longer boast of having scored most goals in a calendar year.

'Der Bomber', as we was affectionately known, was the most feared frontman of the 1960s and 70s, plundering a remarkable 68 goals in 62 international appearances, and 365 in 427 Bundesliga games.

His most profitable year came in 1972 when scored 85 times, a record which stood until December 9 last year.

Messi, who was named the planet's best player for a fourth year in a row on Monday night, went on to end 2012 with 91 goals, after which he sent a special momento to Muller.

The Barcelona star sent 67-year-old Muller his shirt, signed with a message that says much about the humility and class that, along with phenomenal football ability, makes him so widely respected.

Written inside his famous No 10, Messi wrote: 'For Gerd Muller, with my respect and admiration. A hug. Leo,' the Daily Mail reported.