Former Barcelona striker Patrick Kluivert lauded La Masia graduate Lamine Yamal for his memorable start to life in a Blaugrana shirt.
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Praised Yamal for series of strong performancesUrged Barcelona to protect 16-year-oldSpoke to GOAL ahead of La Liga event in New YorkWHAT HAPPENED?
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.
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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."
WHAT KLUIVERT SAID ABOUT PROTECTING YAMAL
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."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
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.