Following the official announcement of his contract extension until 2027, Wojciech Szczęsny gave an interview to FootTruckTV. In the first part, the Polish goalkeeper discussed Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s globally renowned player. Szczęsny expressed no concerns about the young star’s future regarding his personality.
“You know what I think? Everyone has their own path. I currently see nothing worrying about him. I believe that his approach to football and life is what makes him the player he is. I don’t think you can completely change someone’s personality,” the Polish keeper commented.
Neymar Comparisons and Personal Freedom
Comparisons to Neymar and the Brazilian’s controversial career are inevitable when discussing Yamal. Szczęsny addressed this directly: “They say Neymar could have achieved much more in football if he had a different mentality. But if he had approached football and life differently, he wouldn’t have been the spectacular Neymar we saw.”
Therefore, he urges to let Lamine Yamal follow his own path: “I believe that such personalities should not be overly restrained. You have to let them enjoy football, because this joy not only affects their teammates but also inspires millions worldwide.” He then shifted the responsibility for Yamal’s career to those around him: “I think this is more the role of Yamal’s environment, not his own. He’s only 17. He has the right, perhaps even the duty, to make some youthful mistakes. Hopefully, if he does, they won’t have serious consequences. However, his environment will certainly be important for him in these moments.”
“Nowadays, we are less accustomed to these types of personalities; he is a very positive person. It’s personalities like his that make people love football,” he explained.
Pedri: The Golden Boy in Szczęsny’s Eyes
When asked which player he thought should win the Ballon d’Or, Szczęsny acknowledged Lamine Yamal’s spectacular performance but admitted he would give the award to Pedri, stating he was the player who most impressed him.
“I have never seen anything like it. The way he controls matches both defensively and offensively… He never loses the ball. Some achieve this by playing risk-free, but he is always surrounded by opposing players and dribbles, passes… If you give him the ball, you know it will be safe with him,” he analyzed.
Additionally, he mentioned that Pedri is in better physical shape than before his injury, appearing faster and stronger, which allows him to win duels against much larger players.
