“Uncle” Bednarek highlights where Pietuszewski can improve | OneFootball

Oskar Pietuszewski, tipped as one of the brightest prospects in Polish football, was at the centre of Jan Bednarek’s comments to Eleven Sports after FC Porto’s 2-0 win over Alverca on Sunday. The centre-back assessed the progress of his young compatriot and stressed that the winger still has significant room to grow.

I follow him closely and see things from a different perspective. I see the huge potential Oskar has. What I expect from him as a teammate is consistency. That it’s not just one or two moments per game, but four, five or six, and I think he’s capable of that. What I explain to him, and what I see, is that he dwells too much on the previous play, lives too much in the past and doesn’t focus on the next one, which hurts his decision-making a bit. But I think he still has time to make those mistakes,” noted the Dragons’ No. 5.

“He’s only 18 and we have to remember he’s very young, but we try to keep his feet on the ground. Of course it’s difficult right now, he’s going through a tougher spell with the injury and some disappointments, but I think Oskar is mentally strong and that will only make him stronger. The buzz is huge, we’re aware of that, not only in Poland but also in Portugal. The most important thing is that he stays calm,” he continued.

Known as “Uncle Jan” by the Polish channel, Bednarek also spoke in a playful tone about the bond he and Kiwior have developed with Pietuszewski over the course of the season: “Someone has to keep him in line… We laugh because Oskar is already fed up with me and Kiwi, but we only want to help him, we want what’s best for him, and I think the environment here is ideal for him to take the next step, because he definitely has the conditions for it. But, as I said, at the highest level consistency is the most important thing. He was fantastic against Benfica [2-2 at the Luz, in 2025/26], but he has the attributes to do that 20 times a game. If his decision-making reaches the highest level, and the conditions are there for that, I think we Poles will be very proud of him,” said the 30-year-old defender, who also highlighted the “tight rein” imposed by… Oskar’s mother.

“His mother keeps a close eye on him, keeps him on a tight rein, very well. A little kiss for mother Iwona. Oskar is a good lad, he works very hard, he’s very ambitious. Let’s give him a bit of peace. He needs space to make mistakes, to gain calm and experience, because at this age it’s hard to keep your feet on the ground with so much noise around him,” Bednarek concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.