Former wonderkid Freddy Adu has warned Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to block out distractions and stay focused on his football. Adu, who had a trial at Manchester United as a youngster, spoke about the intense scrutiny facing the 18-year-old Spanish star.
Yamal has enjoyed a meteoric rise at Barcelona since his debut in the 2022/23 season, making 108 appearances and scoring 18 goals last term. He has won two La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey, and helped Spain win Euro 2024.
Adu, in an interview with an online betting site, said: 'All eyes are on him all the time, and that's hard. I can't even imagine how it is for him over there in Spain. It's probably magnified 1000 times.' He advised Yamal to 'put his head down, train and just focus on his craft'.
The former United States international acknowledged his own mistakes as a young player, including being photographed at parties. 'I made a lot of mistakes,' Adu said. 'You don't want to let that become your whole narrative.'
Yamal and Barcelona have started the season perfectly, with the winger already on the scoresheet. They face Rayo Vallecano this weekend.
