[ad_1]
Pedri has been one of the revelations in LaLiga Santander this season. His performances since he officially arrived at Barcelona from Las Palmas have been by a player with experience beyond his years.
The 17-year-old has earned a regular spot on Ronald Koeman’s team, playing either No. 10 or right winger. Barcelona signed him from Las Palmas in the summer of 2019 before returning him to the Canarian club for the rest of the season. Pedri is now on the verge of a senior international call-up for Spain and is set to make his U21 debut on Thursday.
MARCA spoke with Toni Otero, the former sports director of Las Palmas, and Rubén Delgado, who coached Pedri as a child, to learn a little more about his journey to the top.
“Enjoy it [watching] a lot, “Delgado said.” From nine to 12 and I’m sure now it’s very easy to talk about him, but my family and yours know it. I was convinced that he would make it from the first time I saw him, although I did not imagine that he would do it so quickly, of course. Apart from his soccer qualities, he stood out for his maturity as a person. The respect and treatment he always showed towards his opponents, teammates and coaches was different from the others. “
Otero revealed how, at age 16, Pedri was called up to the Las Palmas first team.
“It was Ángel, a player at the time and now an assistant to Pepe Mel, who told us to raise him from the youth team to the first team,” said Otero. “We knew it stood out, but I admit I wasn’t expecting this evolution.”
Comparisons with Andrés Iniesta
It wasn’t long before Pedri started attracting the attention of bigger clubs, even before he made his senior debut with Las Palmas.
“If he maintained that level, it was Iniesta,” added Otero. “Las Palmas was not having a good time financially speaking and I told Barcelona to come see him. We played a friendly against Almería and he was unreal. He played with incredible confidence and composure.
“The [scouting] The reports were so good and, the next game, against Betis, they sent [Jose Mari] Bakero and Ramon Planes to keep an eye on him. It was then that they started talking to sign Pedri for Barcelona and they signed him before he made his [competitive] Debut with the first team.
“There are players who are born [to play] And if he continues this and is lucky with injuries, he will be a world star. Those who are born [to play] they are gifted. There are players who improve over time, but others are gifted and Pedri is one of them. He has something in his head that allows him to think before others. “
Pedri gets what Pedri wants
“I didn’t know what pressure was,” Delgado added. “He made a difference and plays the same now as with me. He enjoyed training, which is the important thing. Besides, what he likes is football, like everyone else. He has been like this since he was young. At 17 years of a year which is naturally so attracts attention.
“I was amazed at how easily a nine-year-old could do things. He always knew what he had to do. He saw the gaps that no one else saw. There are children who get away with it, but they stay. What Pedri he wants to, he gets it. He’s a hard worker and has a very good head on his shoulders. He wanted to stay in Barcelona’s first team and he did it, just like when he knew he would stay in Las Palmas. First team when he was promoted. “
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
[ad_2]
