Premier League icons in awe of Barcelona jewel – ‘What makes him special is…’ | OneFootball

At this point in time, it is safe to say that any sane fan of football has to be a fan of Lamine Yamal and the magic he produces on the field week in and week out.

The Spanish phenom, after all, is redefining standards and is delivering with bizarre consistency as a 17-year-old.

What makes him special is how easy he makes the sport look, something that has been missing since Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. left Europe.

Yamal’s proficiency with the ball at his feet has won praise from far and wide and last night’s performance against Benfica may well have been one of his best games in a Blaugrana shirt.

English pundits praise Yamal

Speaking about the Barcelona sensation after last night’s clash, Bayern Munich legend and former English international Owen Hargreaves praised Yamal and his potential to reach the stars.

“Lamine continues to break records, and despite being only 17, his potential seems limitless. He could have easily scored two more goals if he wanted to,” said the former Manchester United star.

“The way he scored his goal was incredible. The ball was heading wide, but he somehow managed to control it and shoot beautifully,” he added on Yamal’s goal.

Former Liverpool and Real Madrid star Steve McManaman also weighed in on Yamal’s rise and could not help but admire the teenage phenom’s immense maturity and magic.

A special player. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“When you have a player like Lamine Yamal doing what he does, things change quickly. The first goal was a bit lucky, but he laid the ball on a silver platter for Raphinha at the far post,” he began.

“As soon as that happened, it felt like the air was taken out of the Benfica players’ lungs, didn’t it? Because they found themselves trailing on aggregate,” he added on the impact of Yamal’s opener.

Elaborating on what made Yamal a special talent, McManaman praised the Barcelona star’s awareness of how much is too much.

“What makes him special is that he doesn’t do unnecessary showboating, but he has that natural skill. A small step, a body trick, a change of direction, and then a stunning shot into the top corner.”

“Even when he hit the ball, it looked so easy to him, which is what makes him such a great player. He has an amazing calmness for such a young age, and that’s exceptional,” he added.

Finally, the English legend could not hold back in praising Yamal’s finish last night which may well go down as one of the goals of the season.

“The timing of jumping around the ball and shooting like that is rare, but it makes it look completely natural. The shot wasn’t very powerful, but its accuracy was exceptional. When you analyze the goal, you realize how amazing it was.”

Source: BBC