Xavi likens Lamine Yamal to Lionel Messi after record Barcelona debut
Barcelona manager Xavi drew comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi after the former's record-breaking debut for the Catalan giants.
Yamal became the youngest player to ever represent Barça in La Liga on Saturday night, climbing off the bench to play a part in the romping 4-0 win over Real Betis at Camp Nou.
Aged just 15, Yamal broke the record previously held by Ansu Fati when he replaced Gavi with just over five minutes of the game remaining, and looked bright during his short cameo.
Xavi's decision to promote Yamal to first team action at such a young age has inevitably drawn questions about how good the young Spaniard could turn out to be, and his post-match comments suggests there's huge optimism about Yamal's future.
"I told him to try things and he did," Xavi told reporters. "At 15 years old, just imagine it...He is special and he could have even scored tonight, but [Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva] saved.
"He played with confidence and he showed what he is about. He has no fear and bags of talent. Some of his passes in the final third were really good."
Read the latest Barcelona news
feed
When asked if Yamal could be compared to Fati and even the legendary Lionel Messi, Xavi didn't back down in his praise and suggested the 15-year-old could help to usher in a new era at the club.
"He's a similar player because he has that innate talent in the final third which is difficult to find," Xavi responded.
"Lamine doesn't seem like a 15-year-old, he's very mature. He's ready [to play] and he is training well. He can mark an era at this club as part of this team."
Who is Lamine Yamal?
Yamal was born in Spain to a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinean mother, and has the opportunity to represent all three at international level. Currently he's part of the Spain setup, having already played as high as Under-19 level.
A left-footed right-winger by trade, Yamal used to operate as a central striker before switching out wide because of his sublime dribbling ability. That's the trait that Barcelona's coaches and scouts have been impressed with most, which has inevitably led to the aforementioned Messi comparisons.
There's work to do in terms of his physicality - Yamal has some bulking up to do because of his young age - but his movement and on-field intelligence has been recognised quickly by Xavi. To even be in the first team picture aged just 15 shows Yamal must be doing plenty of things right, so Barcelona's eyes will be fixed on the date July 13, 2023 - that's when they can offer him a first professional contract.
LISTEN NOW
On this edition of 90min's Definitive European Power Rankings, part of the 90min podcast network, Sean Walsh and Jack Gallagher discuss the top 10 teams from across the continent after a busy week of football. If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!