Exclusive: ‘Different quality’ - Barcelona teenage sensation Lamine Yamal lauded by Blaugrana legend Patrick Kluivert as he praises youngster for ‘performing like an adult’

Kluivert, who played for Barcelona for eight seasons, hailed Yamal for his impact on Xavi's side. Since breaking into the first team at the start of the 2023-24 campaign, Yamal has scored four and assisted three - offering a bright spark in an otherwise difficult season for the Blaugrana.

Speaking ahead of a La Liga fan even in New York, Kluivert told GOAL: "To put pressure on a boy that's 16 years old... It's not right. But it's automatically going. If you look how he performs, if you look how he scores, the goals, it's a different quality. He will get the pressure automatically, and that's normal when you perform like this. He's performing like an adult on the pitch."

The Barcelona legend also cautioned his former club on the dangers of overloading a 16-year-old: "If you play a lot of games, also the national team, also for Barca, it could be possible that the engine is going out."

Kluivert understands the weight of the Barca shirt. The long-time Dutch international scored 90 goals for the Blaugrana in 182 games. He is set to appear at El Partidazo, a La Liga fan event, in New York on March 17 - an event held during the Spanish top flight clash between Atletico Madrid and Barca.

The Spanish winger is set to be a part of Xavi's Barca side going forward. He will likely feature as the Blaugrana take on Atleti this weekend, and is expected to be named in Spain's squad ahead of their friendlies against Colombia and Brazil.