Dani Carvajal has told Spain and Barcelona that they must protect teenage star Lamine Yamal to ensure he does not burn out.
Yamal, who turns 17 on Saturday, has taken Euro 2024 by storm and played a key role in firing Spain to the final against England on Sunday.
The winger has provided three assists at the tournament so far, more than any other player, while he also scored a wonder goal in Spain’s 2-1 victory over France.
Carvajal, who says he is feeling like “an animal” ahead of the final after missing that semi-final win, has been amazed by Yamal’s rise and believes he will become a era-defining player if his workload is managed.
“When I was 16, I was winning the Copa del Rey with the [Real Madrid] youth team and he is making the difference in a European Championship. It’s impressive,” he said.
“I think he’s not aware of what it means right now. He’s focused on playing the games and he does it as if he were playing with his friends.
“And that’s the good thing about him, that in the end that self-confidence is contributing a lot.
“And, as I said, we have to look after him, we have to pamper him a lot — and not only in the Spanish national team, but also in Barcelona, because it’s not easy to manage at this age all the impact he’s having.
“There have been many cases in football of young players who at 20 years old didn’t give any more, and we also have to have a certain patience with Lamine Yamal and look after him so that he marks an era.”
Carvajal missed Tuesday’s win over France after being sent off late in extra-time of Spain’s last-eight victory over Germany.
The Real Madrid right-back will come back into the team for Sunday’s showdown against England in Berlin and says he is feeling the benefit of an extended break.
“I spoke to [Spain defender Aymeric] Laporte about it and I was just fine for the game against France,” Carvajal told Spanish radio station COPE.
“I told him it was a good thing [to miss the France game] because of the extra time against Germany and the little discomforts I had. Now, with 10 days of preparation, I feel like an animal.
“I have always said that international football is very beautiful and the purest because there are no transfers. On Sunday, we can do something historic.”
