Former Barcelona star Ronaldinho has this week forwarded a message the way of up-and-coming Blaugrana prodigy Lamine Yamal.
This comes in the form of something of a rallying cry for the 17-year-old to carry forth his explosion onto the world stage in Catalunya’s capital over the seasons ahead.
Wide-man Lamine is of course in the midst of what has been nothing short of a spectacular individual campaign to date.
From his berth on the right of new boss Hansi Flick’s frontline, the Spanish international has torn opposing backlines apart week in and week out, courtesy of elite touch, dribbling and final ball.
All told, in 54 appearances across all competitions, Lamine has racked up a head-turning haul of 18 goals and 25 assists.
So impressive has the youngster been, in fact, that he is considered as being amongst the very frontrunners for the next Ballon d’Or.
And such excellence, evidently, has not been lost on the aforementioned Ronaldinho…
Drawn on Lamine’s rise during an interview with Marca this week, Barcelona icon Ronaldinho explained:
“Messi and I made history, and now it’s Lamine Yamal’s turn to do the same. What he has achieved so far at this age and with such talent is exceptional. I like to see players like him; they give life to football. I hope he has a career like ours.”
Conor Laird – GSFN
