Liverpool superstar praises Barcelona starlet after UEFA Nations League faceoff – ‘Special player’ | OneFootball

Barcelona’s prodigal young talents have begun flooding into the Spanish national team and Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal are at the forefront of that revolution.

While the latter is a well-established starter for Luis de La Fuente’s side, Cubarsi has only begun his rise as a regular starter for La Roja.

Last night, he started in the team’s all-important UEFA Nations League quarterfinal against The Netherlands but was forced to leave the field early after sustaining a minor injury.

Van Dijk’s thoughts

Speaking to the media after the Netherlands’ draw with La Roja last night, Dutch defender and Liverpool superstar Virgil van Dijk was asked about Pau Cubarsi and what he thought of the defender’s rise as a teenager.

“I think he’s a huge talent and a special player, playing at this level at 18 years old is really impressive,” he said via Mundo Deportivo.

Pau Cubarsi suffered an injury last night. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

The star defender then went on to elaborate on Cubarsi’s style of play and what makes him so special in terms of ball-playing.

“Pau likes to make long passes and he’s good at it and it’s something I like to do too.”

Finally, he spoke about Cubarsi’s unexpected injury on the night which saw the player leave the field early, although it is not considered a serious issue.

“I felt sad for Cubarsi, because he got injured, but I think he’s a great talent and we’re looking forward to a player with a bright future.”

So far this season, the 18-year-old has made 27 appearances and 24 starts for Barcelona in La Liga. In that duration, he averages over seven defensive actions per game and has even racked up 3 assists.