Lamine Yamal reflects on his journey to the top – ‘My life has changed in every way’ | OneFootball

Lamine Yamal recently sat down with Jose Ramon de la Morena on the ‘Resonancia de Corazón’ (h/t SPORT), where he talked about his personal life, childhood and even his birthday parties that have created quite the noise in Spain.

In what appears to be an unfiltered interview, the youngster, who has become one of the world’s best wingers and could be poised to win a Ballon d’Or this month, doesn’t shy away from touching upon many facets of his upbringing and a rather humble past.

Lamine Yamal on ‘restrictions’, mother and playstations

Lamine admitted that life has transformed since he broke into Barcelona’s first team under the leadership of Xavi Hernandez.

“My life has changed in every way. Before, I could do whatever I wanted: I could go out for drinks with my friends, but now I can’t. I remember the preseason this summer in Korea, Japan, China; it was impossible to go anywhere, but I’m happy,” he said.

The forward said he now feels the responsibility to repay those who supported him in more difficult times, including his mother, Sheila Ebana.

“My mother couldn’t be with me much because of work, but she always made me dinner when she came home at night. I remember that she bought me the PlayStation 4, which, for me at that time, was everything.

“I had a second-hand PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and a good 4. Now I play the PlayStation 5 a lot. I have a friend from La Masia called Bryan, and we’re always playing and having a great time. I could have the biggest mansion in the world, but I’ll always be in the PlayStation room,” he said.

While his mother had gifted him a PlayStation 4, Yamal also revealed the first thing he had bought for his family.

“I asked my mother what area she wanted, and she chose the house herself. It has everything I could want. To me, she’s my queen; she’s what I love most,” he said.

“I came from an apartment where the kitchen and bedroom were in the same place. I see my mother happy.

Yamal is in contention to win the Ballon d’Or this month. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

“I see that my brother can have the childhood I would have wanted, and that’s what makes me happiest. I see my father and my grandmother relaxing in their homes. It’s everything a child could wish for,” he added.

Yamal on humble origins and difficult transitions

Lamine spoke movingly about his family’s immigrant story, beginning with his grandmother’s journey from Morocco.

“My grandmother sneaked onto the bus from Morocco and managed to get to Mataró. She started working three shifts so my father could come because he stayed in Morocco, and when my grandmother made some money, she paid a woman to bring my father and his sister, who came when they were 3 years old,” he said.

His mother, meanwhile, came from Guinea. Talking about her mother, Yamal revealed the hardships she had faced.

“My mother came from Guinea with my grandmother to Barcelona. And my parents met here, so we started living in a residence for young parents, which was like a dining room and everything.

“After that, we always lived the typical way where a friend has a house and lets you use a room, until my parents separated. Then he went to live with my grandmother and my mother with me in Granollers,” he added.

The winger admitted that moving to La Masia was not always smooth, and there were certain hiccups along the way, especially when it came to him adapting to school life.

“The first year went well, but when I left Mataró. I wasn’t used to living with the kind of people I encountered at school.

“People from a different social class, and I sort of disconnected. I wasn’t comfortable. I didn’t feel at ease. It was a bit of everything: teachers, classmates,” he said.

“I came from a school where I met the one in my neighbourhood, the one at the bakery, the one at the butcher shop, and I discovered things I didn’t know.

“I would do things differently now, but if I hadn’t experienced it then, maybe I’d be wrong now. I’ve had to live a long time to know what I like and what I want. I don’t regret a thing,” he added.

Yamal went on to reveal that he had never doubted football would be his path when his mother started to worry.

“Yes, I would have liked to study a degree, but I’m not cut out for it. I told my parents, ‘If you depend on me for work, we’re screwed. But if I become a footballer, don’t worry, because I’m going to be a footballer,” he said.

Yamal even revealed a conversation he had with his mother when he told her about going to training.

“One day, I called my mother and said, ‘Mom, I’m going to go to school, but I’m not going to do anything. I’m going to get ready for training this afternoon.’ And she replied, ‘What have you taken?’

“I said, ‘If I focus, I’m going to be a footballer.’ She yelled at me every day, but at some point, she understood. I don’t recommend anyone do that, but it was my dream, and I achieved it,” he said.

Yamal on life in the spotlight

Another segment of the long interview saw Yamal talk about his personal life, especially after he started gaining the spotlight. He also talked about the painful moment when his father got stabbed.

“I was in the car with my cousin Moha. I had CarPlay on, which connects your phone to the speakers, and my cousin, who was in Morocco, called me. And she asked me: ‘Are you alone?’ And she started telling me about it, and more calls came in as well. At that time, I was 16,” he said.

News of his father getting stabbed scarred Yamal. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

“The first thing I did was get out of the car and try to go to the train station to go to Mataró. Imagine being a kid and hearing that your dad has been stabbed. I tried to get on the train, but my cousin wouldn’t let me.

“I told him to take me to Mataró or I’d never speak to him again, but they wouldn’t let me. They locked me in the house, and I tried to get out.

“It was a tough time, and the next day I had training. Then my dad called and told me he was okay and to stay calm. I went to see him in the hospital the next day, and everything calmed down,” he added.

Finally, Yamal addressed the controversy surrounding his birthday celebrations, which has caused a lot of attention in the Spanish media.

“I wasn’t mad. In the end, they tried to smear him in many ways. The days before my birthday party, a woman came out lying, saying that I chose the girls in this or that way,” he said.

“It didn’t make sense. I don’t care what anyone says about me. I’ve gotten used to it. Have you ever seen any other 18-year-olds going to parties or having a girlfriend?” he concluded.