Former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has advised Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal to ignore criticism from pundits, including himself.
Yamal, born to a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinea mother, responded to Van der Vaart’s earlier criticism by scoring a stunning goal in Spain’s draw with the Netherlands on Sunday.
After Spain’s penalty shootout victory, the 17-year-old took to social media to fire back at the Dutchman.
Van der Vaart, who had questioned Yamal’s attitude and effort in the first leg of the Nations League playoff, responded on Tuesday.
“This goal was really of great category. A world-class goal, like the player,” Van der Vaart admitted. “Still, I would advise him not to worry so much about a former player who is too fat and says something about him. It’s something that really doesn’t matter.”
The former Netherlands international had previously claimed that Yamal did not put in enough effort during the first leg.
“It seemed that Yamal did not like facing Jorrel Hato,” he had said. “I look at details, and I see things that start to bother me. His pants slightly lowered, not trying too hard, making superficial gestures.
“If you are so young, you should be happy for every minute you play for Spain. At that age, you have to prove yourself every minute and in every game. But that does not change the fact that Hato simply had him in his pocket.”
