Steven Gerrard makes bold Lamine Yamal comparison with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Steven Gerrard believes Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal is 'more advanced' than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo were at the same age.
Yamal starred as Barcelona beat title rivals Atletico Madrid 2-1 in La Liga at the weekend, assisting the winning goal for Fermin Lopez.
The 19-year-old also became the first Barcelona player to create seven chances in a LaLiga game against Atlético Madrid since Xavi in October 2008.
Yamal's meteoric rise has seen the Spaniard become one of the world's finest footballers in his teens. At just 19, he's already won three La Liga titles, the European Championship, World Cup, and twice finished on the Ballon d'Or podium.
Gerrard discussed Yamal's 'scary' potential on The Overlap Daily, and believes he is ahead of any other teenager he's ever seen.
"We're looking at someone who is potentially going to get to the two that I competed against, in [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi," Gerrard said.
"He's the one, I would say, that I've seen live that has potentially got that level if he continues to evolve. You've got [Kylian] Mbappe and [Erling] Haaland who are around there in terms of being in their prime years, but if you're looking at a youngster.
"We have a lot of superstars around the world, but he seems to be the one that's just a little bit above that level. I think the biggest challenge for him and the people around him, his coaches and the people around him at Barcelona, how do they keep him hungry? How do they keep him wanting to achieving things with his team and individual awards?
"In terms of the talent and the potential, it's scary. He's doing things on a football pitch that I've never seen a 19-year-old do. I think he's more advanced than Ronaldo at 19.
"I played against Ronaldo as a youngster, I played against Messi as a youngster. I think he's more advanced than them at that age. Can he go on and produce those numbers and the consistency? We'll have to see. Is he going to become a nine further on in his career and get their volume of goals?
"In terms of the three of them at 19, I think he's more advanced than them."
