“He’s the perfect example of what Lamine Yamal must avoid” – Graeme Souness asks Barcelona star to not follow Real Madrid man’s footsteps

Football pundit Graeme Souness has cautioned Barcelona‘s Lamine Yamal not to follow Jude Bellingham‘s behavioural footsteps. Souness also lauded the Spanish wonderkid for his decision-making and impact on the pitch.

In a discussion with the Daily Mail, Souness was critical of Jude Bellingham and used the opportunity to advise Yamal. He said (via Barca Universal):

At 17 years of age, Yamal has headlined several footballing discussions due to his talent and performance for Spain and Barcelona. The Spaniard started by playing an integral role as La Roja lifted the 2024 UEFA Euro.

The youngster has also been a delight to watch for Barcelona, having recently helped Hansi Flick’s side win the 2024-25 Copa del Rey. In 50 outings for La Blaugrana, Yamal has contributed 15 goals and recorded 24 assists across competitions this season.

In Barca’s recent 3-3 first-leg UEFA Champions League semi-final clash with Inter, Yamal became the youngest player to score in a UEFA Champions League last-four game (via Transfermarkt). In the same game, the Spaniard became the youngest player to feature in 100 competitive games for Barcelona (via UEFA.com).

Graeme Souness said that Jude Bellingham’s temperament and performance worried him. Before using Bellingham’s situation to advise Yamal, Souness had this to say during an interview with the Daily Mail (via Barca Universal):

Last season, Bellingham played a crucial role as Madrid won the Champions League and LaLiga double, bagging 23 goals and 13 assists in 43 appearances. The midfielder has delivered 13 goals and 14 assists in 48 games this term.

Abel Yisa

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a ‘Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder’s ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese’s tactical mind. He feels France’s triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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