Marcus Rashford talks Lamine Yamal, Pedri, La Masia, Dro Fernandez, Hansi Flick and adaptation at Barcelona | OneFootball

One of the most anticipated arrivals this summer at FC Barcelona was that of Marcus Rashford. Despite his struggles in recent seasons, the Manchester United forward arrives with renewed motivation. Moreover, the club has even managed to register him timely.

That allowed him to have his official debut for the team against RCD Mallorca recently, even if he did not get a lot of minutes. Following that game, he recently gave an interview to SPORT and also spoke about some topics since his move to Barcelona.

As quoted by SPORT, he started things off by speaking about how he felt in the new city and at his new club:

Then, he was asked to speak about Lamine Yamal and offer some insights regarding the 18-year-old superstar:

“He’s a top talent, a top player. The most surprising thing is how mature he is for his age. How he thinks and plays. He’s way ahead of his age. It’s exciting to play with him and with others, too.”

Rashford was also asked to voice his opinion on this year’s Ballon d’Or and whether or not Yamal could win it:

“Yes, for sure. If he doesn’t win it this year, he will in the future. Dembélé, Raphinha, they all deserve it. It’s hard to pick one, but they’re all mature and had a fantastic season. Lamine is so young that surely he’ll win it.”

The English forward was then also asked to share what Yamal was like in person, as most people probably do not get to interact with him the way that Rashford has probably done so:

“As a person, he’s an 18-year-old kid, always joking, laughing, messing around with others. It’s motivating to be in a locker room with so many young players. It reminds me of when I was his age… And yes, he’s the most talented I’ve played with for his age. I haven’t played with or seen anyone else with the impact he has on the game. Maybe Ronaldo Nazario, ‘El Fenómeno’. To have that influence on the pitch at such a young age, and so consistently, is incredible. He has a long career ahead of him, and I hope he maintains his level and even improves.”

As for UEFA Champions League aspirations of Barcelona, Rashford believes that the team has what it takes to aim for that title:

“Yes, for sure. Not only the Champions League, but everything. They had a great season last year. Now it’s about forgetting it, trying to repeat it, and improving.”

Even in terms of principles and the foundations needed to challenge for such a title, something that Rashford has spoken about before, the English forward claimed that he believes that this team has those principles:

“Yes, they have those principles; otherwise, they wouldn’t have won three trophies last season. The mentality and motivation are high; I don’t see why we couldn’t win every trophy we compete for. For me, the team is ready to win. I just want to help as much as I can. The season is long and football is unpredictable, but the team and the staff have a strong mentality to face any challenge.”

Apart from Yamal, another Barcelona superstar whom Rashford spoke about was Pedri, and he was full of praise for the Spanish midfielder as well:

“If you didn’t know his age, you’d think he was 28 or 29 because he’s so mature and understands the game perfectly. He plays at his own rhythm, and that makes it easy for forwards to play with him.”

The summer arrival also spoke about La Masia, and praised the talents that emerge from the academy:

“I think it’s a cultural thing, because clearly they have the ability, but with young players, sometimes what makes the difference is mentality — that they believe they can go out and play against the best in the world and show the same quality.”

As for Pedro ‘Dro’ Fernandez, one of the standout young performers during the team’s preseason, Rashford was asked whether or not he was ready to feature for the first team:

Lastly, Rashford also spoke about Hansi Flick and revealed what kind of coach he found the German tactician to be:

“He’s a very direct coach. That’s important, especially with so many young players in the team, where direction has to be clear. His motivation is very high to do better than last season. That’s the main thing to believe the team will succeed. He’s a special coach who knows how to work with special players. I’m excited.”

It is definitely fascinating to see Rashford share his insights and opinions on the things that go around at Barcelona. From the young players to the head coach, the English forward definitely shared some interesting information during this recent interview.