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Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has received advice from Alen Halilovic who was in a similar situation while Lionel Messi was still the leader at Camp Nou.
The Blaugrana have a new superstar in Yamal who at the age of 16 has already made history for the La Liga giants. He has become the Catalan giants' youngest-ever debutant and their youngest player this century.
The exciting teenage winger also became Spain's youngest-ever debutant and goalscorer when he netted on his debut in a 7-1 thrashing of Georgia. It has been the perfect start to his career but many are advising him to keep his feet on the ground.
Halilovic was similarly viewed as a future Barcelona star when he broke onto the scene in 2014. The Croatian made his debut for the Blaugrana aged 18 but failed to hit the heights many had anticipated.
Nevertheless, the Fortuna Sittard attacker has given Yamal advice amid his meteoric rise at Camp Nou. He's urged the Spanish starlet to continue doing what he's doing (via Barca Universal):
“When you see him on the field, he enjoys and plays very well. He doesn’t have to change anything to succeed in Barcelona, he just has to continue like this.”
Yamal has many experienced heads to help guide him on his path towards success at Barcelona. The likes of Robert Lewandowski, 35, and Frenkie de Jong, 26, have both enjoyed incredible careers in their own right.
As too has Lionel Messi whom many are likening Yamal to due to their similar playing styles and quick emergence from La Masia academy. The Argentine icon was one of the veteran players at Barca when Halilovic got his break.
The Croatian continued by alluding to how Lionel Messi helped him find his feet in the Blugrana first team:
“When I was there, Messi helped us a lot. He had a very good relationship with the players who went up from the academy. Seeing him to the fullest in each training. Is there anything better to help a young person?”
Yamal has hit the ground running with two assists in six games across competitions thus far in his Barcelona career. Many are backing him to become the La Liga giants' biggest talent since Lionel Messi.
Alen Halilovic 'the Croatian Lionel Messi' failed to reach expectations at Barcelona
Croatian sports journalist Domagoj Kostanjšak explained how comparisons with Lionel Messi were detrimental to Halilovic. He said in 2021 (via The Tilehurst End):
"The truth is he was pampered to and treated like a future superstar to the point the club went above and beyond to cater to his needs, both on and off the pitch. But that kind of thing came with a cost - he had to become the new Messi, anything less than that would be seen as a failure.”
Many were talking up Halilovic as Barcelona's next breakout superstar when he debuted in 2014. He became the 22nd youngest player in the Catalan giants' history and garnered praise for his exciting attacking style of play. He had impressed for the youth team with four goals and one assist in 29 games across competitions.
However, Halilovic didn't hit the heights many had anticipated as he only made one appearance for the senior team. He soon departed for Bundesliga side Hamburger SV in 2016 but still struggled to impress.
The 27-year-old has since made moves to AC Milan, Birmingham City, and most recently Eredivisie outfit Fortuna Sittard this past summer. He has managed one goal and one assist in five games for the Dutch side.
