‘Still have a lot to learn’… Barcelona winger keen to make even more improvements despite being one of the best in the world | OneFootball

Lamine Yamal is clearly one of the most exciting talents to have emerged from the FC Barcelona academy in the last few years. He made his debut with the team at the age of 15 years, became a regular under Xavi at 16 years of age, and now 17 years old, he is one of the most important players in Hansi Flick’s team.

But despite this rapid progression, there is no doubt that there are still several areas in which the young winger can further improve going forward.

This was also the opinion of the player himself, as Mundo Deportivo reports he talked about his progress in the last few years in a recent interview with a Spanish outlet Diario AS.

The Spaniard was clear that he still has a lot to learn:

“Of course, I still have room for improvement because I am a young player and still have a lot to learn. At the beginning, when you’re starting in the first team, at the top level, you don’t want to lose the ball, so you keep things simple. But then, as you gain confidence, you want to do more, enjoy yourself, and be creative.”

The Barcelona forward also talked about his lack of interest in statistics and numbers:

“I don’t like statistics. You can get past ten opponents, pass the ball to someone, then that person to another, and still get nothing out of the play… I prefer to watch the entire game and analyze each player’s overall contribution to the team. Statistics don’t reflect football as it truly is.”

“The important thing is to play well, win, and enjoy. When all that happens, the rest matters very little. I’d rather people count the days it takes me to score a goal than say I’m playing badly.”

Yamal highlighted his goal against Germany in the UEFA EURO 2024 as a watershed moment in his career:

“Until that moment, I took everything more calmly, thinking that, at just 16 years old, my role in the team was simply to contribute and that was it. But after that goal, I realized that I could do more, help more, and be an important player, capable of leading the team in difficult moments.”

Despite being one of the youngest players in the Barcelona team, Yamal has taken a lot of responsibility, and so far, has been living up to the expectations that are set on him despite his youth. Hopefully, he will be able to make the improvements he wants in his game going forward to become an even more accomplished footballer.