18-year-old starlet demonstrates his quality in his first minutes with Flick’s Barcelona | OneFootball

Shane Kluivert made an encouraging first impression with FC Barcelona’s senior side, producing an assist during the 4-1 preseason victory over CE Europa.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the 18-year-old started the behind-closed-doors friendly and created Barca’s second goal with a precise delivery from the left for Hector Fort to finish.

Kluivert has spent most of his development inside Barcelona’s academy after arriving at La Masia in 2017.

Born in the Netherlands, he had previously spent time at Buitenveldert Amsterdam and Paris Saint-Germain before following the path once taken by his father, former Barcelona striker Patrick Kluivert.

The young attacker has now completed nine years at the club and earned his preseason opportunity after a strong campaign with Juvenil A. He also became increasingly involved with Barca Atletic under Juliano Belletti.

His ability to play across the front line is one of his biggest strengths. Kluivert can operate on either wing or in central attacking areas, while his dribbling and vision allow him to create chances rather than simply provide width.

Barcelona showed their confidence in his potential by extending his contract until 2028 earlier this year.

Why Flick’s decision already looks justified

One assist in a preseason friendly should not lead to exaggerated conclusions, but Kluivert did exactly what a young player must do when given limited minutes.

He played without fear, looked comfortable receiving the ball in attacking areas and produced a decisive action. For Flick, that is more valuable than a safe performance built around avoiding mistakes.

The emotional pull of the Kluivert name will naturally attract attention, but Shane deserves to be judged on his own qualities. Being the son of a former Barca striker may open the door to comparisons, yet it does not guarantee progress through one of football’s most demanding academies.

His next challenge is consistency. Flick will want to see the same personality in training and against stronger preseason opposition before deciding how close he is to regular senior involvement.

Still, the first evidence was positive. Barcelona need young attackers who are brave, versatile and willing to create, and Kluivert showed all three qualities against Europa. His place in the preseason group already feels fully deserved.