Barcelona star bemoans treatment of young players

The Blaugrana forward complained that young players were no longer allowed to be young and were given too much responsibility

Barcelona star Ferran Torres has decried the treatment of young players, especially by the media and fans, who often forget that youngsters are still in their developmental stages.

Ferran Torres wants protection for special Lamine Yamal

Torres himself was also a youth prodigy, making his debut for Valencia in 2017 as a 17-year-old and becoming the first player born in 2000 and beyond to appear in LaLiga before moving to Machester City at 20.

The Barcelona forward recognised another young starlet in his current team who could be on the path to greatness in 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, saying, "Lamine Yamal is an unusual case. Lamine Yamal will only be 22 years old in 6 years, It's something special.”

Torres, however, noted that the starlet needs to be protected from the rigours of senior team football and responsibility as he matures, saying, " He must be protected. Barça is a club with a lot of media impact, in many cases, there is no patience, if you do something wrong or play badly, it doesn't matter if you score goals, they will highlight what you did wrong."

‘People don’t give us time to be young’ — Ferran Torres

The former Manchester City winger used himself as an example of the pressures that can befall a young football player at the top level saying, "There is a big mistake in football. People don't give us time to be young. It seems that in your first year, you can make mistakes, but from the second year onwards, you have to do everything, and lead your team to everything.

“There are processes that you have to follow because if you skip it, it can go wrong. I am 23 years old; yes, I have spent six seasons in professional football, but I am still young.”

Torres made his battles with a lack of confidence and his reliance on a psychologist known to football fans after a difficult 2022/23 season and he has been vocal about the need to reduce pressure on young players, who are still finding their feet.

The Spanish forward has scored five goals and assisted two more in eight starts in all competitions for Barcelona this season, a huge improvement from only seven goals and three assists in the entire 2022/23 campaign.

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