‘What he’s doing is not normal’ - Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal urged by Andres Iniesta to keep ‘school playground’ mindset after shattering records at the age of 17

The teenage wonderkid made a senior breakthrough at 15, as domestic and continental history books were rewritten, and became a European Championship winner with Spain the day after his 17th birthday. Yamal is on the list of contenders for the 2024 Ballon d’Or and is expected to land that prize at some stage.

Yamal is far from being the finished article, despite all that he has achieved, and has been advised to work on his somewhat petulant response to being substituted and keeping his feet on the ground. Iniesta has echoed those sentiments, with it important for the youngster to avoid becoming caught up in his own hype.

World Cup winner and Barcelona legend Iniesta has told Mundo Deportivo of watching Yamal’s meteoric rise to prominence: “It’s not normal as we think of normality. What he’s doing so far is not normal. The challenge is that the environment and what accompanies him guide him to that evolution. He’s 17 years old, he has his whole career ahead of him and what he must do is continue enjoying that joy and the freedom of playing in the school playground.

“Therefore, everything around him must accompany him so that his growth continues every year. Every year he will have to improve himself and that is the demand that he will have at Barca and in the national team and that at the same time is not easy.”

Yamal has cleared every hurdle put in front of him so far, with it exciting to think what he could become when full potential has been unlocked. There have already been obvious comparisons to fellow La Masia graduate Lionel Messi, although the hottest of prospects is understandably keen to steer clear of that debate.