Hansi Flick delighted with 17-year-old Barcelona wonderkid making rapid progress | OneFootball

The past few months have been both intense and rewarding for Barcelona wonderkid Pedro ‘Dro’ Fernandez, widely considered one of La Masia’s brightest prospects.

Having been a part of the Juvenil A setup last season, the teenage gem now finds himself a part of the first-team dynamics at the Catalan club.

Hansi Flick delighted with Dro’s growth

As such, SPORT reports that Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is delighted with Dro and the progress he has made in the past few months.

Between May and September this year, the 17-year-old has gone from playing for Juvenil B to featuring in the first-team matchday squads for the first three La Liga matches of the new season.

After he impressed Flick in training sessions late last season, the German coach decided to include him in the summer’s pre-season plans, having taken note of his technical level.

Making the most of his opportunity, Dro made a solid impression when the pre-season started on 13 July, thus earning a spot in the squad for the tour of Japan and Asia.

Dro scored on his unofficial debut vs Vissel Kobe. (Photo by Paul Miller/Getty Images)

Dro debuted in the friendly against Vissel Kobe and marked the occasion with a spectacular goal. He also played notable minutes in the third match of the tour and in the Gamper Trophy game vs Como.

Once the season began, the teenage attacking midfielder remained in the first team dynamic, awaiting his official senior debut under Flick.

Reserve team debut this week

With La Liga paused due to the international break, Dro has recently trained again with Barça Atletic, and is expected to play against Porreres this Sunday – marking his official debut for the reserve team.

This temporary step back to Barça Atletic will allow the teenager to gain rhythm and confidence, with the aim of returning to the first team, possibly against Valencia after the international break.

Flick is happy with how things are developing with Dro. The player, for his part, knows he must keep his feet on the ground and continue to work and improve in order to reach the top.