‘I felt a lot of emotions’, Lamine Yamal reacts to historic Barcelona debut

At only 15 years old, Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal has become the youngest-ever La Liga player, breaking the record previously held by teammate Ansu Fati.

Despite being on the bench for two previous La Liga games, Yamal didn’t play until the end of Saturday’s game against Real Betis, where he was given seven minutes plus stoppage time.

Yamal, who was born locally, admitted feeling nervous at first but gradually grew more comfortable during his record-breaking performance.

“I felt a lot of emotions,” Yamal told club media.

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“When I went onto the field, I was impressed by watching the Camp Nou. But, little by little, all my nerves went away and I tried to be as comfortable as possible. My teammates also helped me a lot and I thank them. I’m very happy to be able to have this record, but I hope to be able to beat more.

“Xavi told me to gain confidence with the first passes and, if I could, to do what I always did. That’s what I tried. My teammates also told me that and, when we finished, they congratulated me.”

Speaking ahead of the game, Xavi had said, “[Yamal] is very talented, despite being 15 years old. He has personality, talent, one-on-ones, he is strong.

“He is a player who can define an important era in the club.”

Barcelona remain 11 points clear of Real Madrid in La Liga after the latest round of fixtures, putting the Catalans one step closer to their first title since 2018/19.