Lamine Yamal talks Messi, Ansu, Flick, No. 10 shirt, ambitions – ‘I will try to continue that legacy'
The 18-year-old winger was confirmed as the new No. 10 today, while he also signed his new contract with the club until 2031 in a special ceremony.
After briefly speaking to the club media about the special day, Lamine then interacted with other media at the Barça Store, where he discussed what the renewal and inheriting the No. 10 shirt meant to him.
Kicking things off, the teenage wonderkid said: 'What this renewal means is that I will continue to play for the club of my life, I will continue to enjoy it. There is no pressure on me, I will continue to enjoy myself with another number.'
On whether the long-term contract is the first step towards him becoming a Barcelona legend, the youngster replied:
'Renewing with Barça until 2031 is a big step, it's the beginning of a road that I hope will be very long and full of victories. We'll see, we'll try to enjoy it more than last year and hopefully I can fulfil my dreams here.'
Talking about the No. 10 shirt, made iconic by Lionel Messi, Lamine said: 'Messi has made his own path, I'm going to make mine, and the number 10 comes from Ansu now. So, I will try to make all the happy, those who are there and those who are at home.'
On how he plans to carry forward the legacy of greats like Messi, Maradona, and Ronaldinho, all of whom donned the No. 10 shirt at Barça, he replied:
'I hope so, they are three legends of football, three legends of this club. I would take everything from each of them. Grateful for the club's trust, and I will try to continue that legacy.'
Just 18 years old, Lamine is already one of the biggest stars and has to deal with a lot of praise and attention coming his way. Talking about how he deals with it all, the La Masia gem stated:
'The truth is that both criticism and praise, if they are not from my family or from people very close to me, I am indifferent, because otherwise, one day I will be very high and another very low.'
Discussing the challenges he has set for himself moving forward, Lamine remarked: 'I haven't won the Champions League, so winning the Champions League and the World Cup.
'To win the title we have been missing, which has been the Champions League, and to keep growing and playing as well.'
On whether he dreamt of wearing the No. 10 shirt for Barcelona, the Spanish international said:
'When I was a kid, my dream was to make my debut for Barça, I will wear the number 10 and every kid who lives with Barça dreams of that, I will try to wear it with great honour and I am very grateful for the confidence.'
When asked about what manager Hansi Flick had told him ahead of the special ceremony, Lamine replied:
'Flick told me there's a double session tomorrow and to get to bed early.'
Talking about his teammates, he added: 'Everyone congratulated me; we're a very close-knit dressing room, and I'm very grateful to them.'
The youngster also expressed his deep gratitude towards his grandmother, who was present at the ceremony today, saying:
'The event had been delayed because of her, because she was in Morocco. I want to try to repay her for everything she has done for me, which is not going to be possible, because she has done a lot.'
Finally, regarding the attention he receives off the pitch, Lamine said: 'At the end of the day I work for Barça, I play for Barça, but when I'm away from the Ciutat Esportiva I enjoy my life and that's it.'
Source: FC Barcelona/YouTube
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