Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal is on the verge of becoming Spain starlet Lamine Yamal. The 16-year-old only became eligible to sign his first contract in July, but after just four appearances this season has earned a call-up to La Roja from Luis de la Fuente.
“It’s incredible to be able to live this, I want to enjoy it to the fullest. I’m calm, I’m already used to Barca, so let’s see how everything goes.”
Lamine Yamal has previously mentioned that his mother can get nervous for him, but he seems to take it all in his stride.
“She tells me to be careful, it scares her a little. But after 30 seconds it passes and she is very proud of me.”
“Since I was a young I have played against much bigger people, she tells me to be careful of fouls and stuff. But I tell her to be calm and trust me.”
"She tells me to be careful, it scares her a little. But after 30 seconds it passes and she is proud of me."
"Since I was a young I have played against older people, she tells me to be careful of fouls."
Lamine Yamal on his mum.pic.twitter.com/wvzzh87DmI
— Football España (@footballespana_) September 4, 2023
His Barcelona teammates at La Roja are not much older than he is, but are so far providing a helping hand.
“I always talk to Balde and he tells me to enjoy it, not to be afraid, to dribble. Gavi, too, tells me to go without fear. And Pedri more of the same, they help me a lot.”
He did have one player that he was delighted to be able to play with.
“They are all amazing. But, especially when Asensio started, I liked him a lot.”
Lamine Yamal’s parents are reportedly staunch Real Madrid fans, which would add up too.
While he is enormously talented, no doubt part of the reason he has been called into the squad is the fact that Morocco, the country of his father’s birth, were competing for his allegiances. Lamine Yamal cleared up any doubt about that.
“I have always played with Spain, since the under-15s. I have always had it clear, I want to play with Spain. Win a European Championship, a World Cup and everything that is possible.”
His case is as delicate as any other before. Prodigiously talented, he has already started three of Barcelona’s four games this season, and all of them have been deserved appearances. But Xavi Hernandez and now de la Fuente will have to work out how to ease him into the senior game gradually.
