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 performances
- Urged Barcelona to protect 16-year-old
- Spoke to GOAL ahead of La Liga event in New York
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WHAT 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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WHAT KLUIVERT SAID ABOUT YAMAL'S PERFORMANCES
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."
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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."
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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.
