It is a record sixth time that the Argentina star has been named FIFA’s best player.

For sports columnists in search of topics to write about, there’s always a swivelling quality — swivelling, I said — to the days running up to deadline.

Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or award for an unprecedented fifth time as the Barcelona forward reclaimed the biggest individual accolade in world football at a lavish ceremony in Zurich last night, beating Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, the three-time winner he has been runner-up behind for the last two years.

Basic Fact gave trainer Jonjo O’Neill his first winner for four weeks with a game victory in the feature ladbrokes.com Leicestershire Silver Fox Handicap Chase at Leicester.