Wayne Rooney believes the future of football has already arrived, and it wears a Barcelona shirt.
Speaking on Amazon Prime, the Manchester United legend praised 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, calling him a worthy successor to the sport’s biggest icons.
“He’s fantastic,” Rooney said. “There were players like Messi, Ronaldinho, Figo, Rivaldo, and so on. And Yamal is another one in that line.”
Rooney singled out Yamal’s bravery and presence on the pitch as defining traits, pointing to his fearless play and ability to draw defenders out of position.
“What I like about him is that he’s not afraid. He attracts defenders’ attention, forces them to make decisions. And he obviously has composure, judging by his goals.”
Yamal’s form this season has backed up the hype. The Barcelona wonderkid has turned heads with consistent performances in La Liga and Europe, showing a maturity well beyond his age.
“I think he’s the next big player. For the last 20 years, we had Messi and Ronaldo. He will take their place,” Rooney concluded.
