Lamine Yamal, blunt about his drought in LaLiga: "I play to enjoy"

Lamine Yamal is living his breakout season at FC Barcelona. The forward has established himself as one of the top stars in the football world, and the best part is that he is only 17 years old, so he is 'millions' of kilometers away from reaching his peak. Amid this spectacular present, the winger spoke to 'UEFA.com' to assess his current situation at the club and his journey to the elite.

The star from Mataró, as usual, talked about his roots in Rocafonda, his hometown. "There we coexist many different cultures, but in the end, we are all like brothers, we are all from the same mother. I still have the same 'feeling'. When I go to see them, I am very calm, no one bothers me, and it's my place to rest. It's where I feel at peace. I can disconnect and it gives me strength," he commented.

Despite his youth, Lamine has shown an unusual maturity for a player of his age, gaining more confidence on the field. "Now I have more confidence and I do more things than I did before. Before I played more easily, I did what was needed at each moment. Now I try to enjoy more and inspire myself, and do what I feel like at each moment. I think I play with more confidence," he revealed.

Yamal's drought in LaLiga and his relationship with Flick

Yamal has been in the 'eye of the storm' in recent weeks as he has gone four months without scoring in LaLiga. However, the winger downplayed this issue, as his priority is to make the fans enjoy. "I think the key is to think about oneself, to try to do the best for the team and for yourself. I am not a player who looks much at statistics, I play to enjoy, for people to enjoy, and to win, obviously," he stated.

"I am not a player who looks much at statistics, I play to enjoy, for people to enjoy, and to win"

"I don't pay attention to whether someone has more or less than I do. When I watch a football match from another team, I want to enjoy, I want to see players who take on challenges... That's what I try to do when people come to the stadium, to see an entertaining match. In the end, it's about me enjoying so that people enjoy," he added.

Regarding his relationship with Hansi Flick, the player revealed that "he is a very kind person, with whom you can talk. He asks you how you are, he teaches you a lot, I have learned a lot from him. And that makes him respected as a coach and as a person. He is as you see him, strict but at the same time knows how to understand what each player needs at each moment."

In that sense, the young player revealed that, although he doesn't demand too much from him in attack, the coach does require some sacrifice in defense. "When it comes to defensive concepts, he does ask me for certain things, but in the offensive area, he doesn't say much, just to enjoy and that's it. That is the confidence he gives us," he affirmed.

Lamine Yamal's life after the Euro Cup

The Euro Cup was the definitive showcase for the world to recognize Lamine's quality. In this regard, the player stated that "before I was like a child, but since I won the EURO everything is different. I no longer look like a child, I go with more confidence. When you win a title, all players take a step forward, and that is noticeable. I remember fragments of the goal against France. I saw it hit the post and it was a goal. I remember the celebration and that my mother was crying in the stands."

"I don't have a normal life"

After winning the title, the footballer acknowledges that his life has taken a radical turn due to fame. "It's different. Everywhere I go now, every person I cross paths with... I know they know who I am. Before I could travel normally by plane, and now it's very complicated to go through the airport. It's something to be proud of, but at the same time, it's also difficult because I don't have a normal life. I can't go for a walk with my brother, or with my mother to have a drink. Fame gives you good things and bad things."

Finally, Yamal confessed which two competitions excite him the most. "There are two competitions where if you score a goal, you are much happier than in others, and they are the Champions League and the World Cup. They are the two most important competitions. When the Champions anthem plays, everyone gets goosebumps. I scored against Monaco and Atalanta, and I had never felt that sensation, only in the EURO with the goal against France," he concluded.