"He made things fun for me, he was spectacular" - Barcelona star heaps praises on former Blaugrana forward Neymar Jr

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has praised the influence of former star Neymar Jr. on his football career from a young age. The 16-year-old has emerged as one of the finest teenage wingers in world football this season and has taken up a central role for his club.

Under Xavi, Barcelona have lived by the mantra of "if you're good enough, you're old enough" as he has handed several debuts to academy stars. Yamal made his professional bow at just 15 years of age last year, and the youngster didn't look out of place even then.

Lamine Yamal has shown that he has a bag filled with tricks as well as cold-blooded ruthlessness in front of the goal. He has scored six goals and provided seven assists in 41 games across competitions. He idolises former captain Lionel Messi, but another player he resembles with these attributes is Al-Hilal and Brazil superstar Neymar.

Yamal joined the Barcelona academy aged seven in 2014, at a time when Neymar was at the club. He spent his first three years in the academy watching the Brazilian forward and attributes Neymar's game as a huge influence on him in an interview with Mundo Deportivo.

“Neymar made me go watch games, he made things fun for me, he was spectacular, it was nice to see him play. I think that because of watching him so much, sometimes I think and say 'look, this is what he used to do'”

Neymar was regarded as one of the best players in the world when he featured for the Spanish giants. While at Barcelona, Neymar recorded 105 goals and 76 assists in just 186 appearances over a four-year span between 2013 and 2017.

He then moved to Paris Saint-Germain and his transfer remains the most expensive in history, as they paid €222 million to have him. Now 32, he is on the books of Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal, having joined last summer.

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Barcelona starlet turns down opportunity to play in the Olympics

Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal has made a clear choice regarding where he will be in the summer following speculation on the subject. He is expected to be in the Spanish squad for the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany.

Due to his age, Yamal is also eligible to feature in the Olympics in Paris, which Spain have qualified for. As per Mundo Deportivo, the youngster has revealed that he does not intend to play in both tournaments and wishes to prioritise the Euros.

He said:

“It wouldn’t be logical to go to both because from the beginning it has been about not overloading me and not playing too much, so it wouldn’t make sense to go to both. Obviously if I have to go, at the end of the day I’d be playing with Spain and that’s a dream. [But if I had to choose], the Euros would be more important.”

Yamal has chosen a safe approach, unlike teammate Pedri, who in 2021, played for Spain in both tournaments. The teenager is looking to pace himself ahead of next season, which is expected to be hugely important to his progression.