Xavi reflected on his first impressions of Yamal, explaining that the teenager's performances at La Masia instantly separated him from players of the same age. The former Barcelona boss also revealed why he wanted Yamal involved with the first team as quickly as possible.
"I heard about him around Barcelona before I saw him. People were talking about this boy - and the same thing had happened to me with Leo (Messi)," wrote Xavi in his column inThe Athletic. "I was told there was an Argentinian who played really well, who stood out and so on, and with Lamine practically the same thing happened to me.
"The first time I saw him was in a youth match the club had recorded for us. He was 15 and put in a brilliant performance that day, providing two assists and scoring a goal. He did everything. I thought, ‘B****y hell, we don’t have anyone like this up front’."
Xavi said Yamal's decision-making and calmness surprised everyone at the club, saying: "This boy came along to train aged 15 and you could already see something different, something special. He dribbled really well. He made excellent decisions, he rarely made mistakes.
"That’s what surprised me most during the rondo drills, the positional games, and the matches we played with the first team. He didn’t make a mistake. We treated him very well, we gave him a very good contract, we spoke to his agent, and from there I was able to give him his debut, because I could see he was ready. I could really see that."