Former Real Madrid star Steve McManaman believes Lamine Yamal could become “the greatest player we’ve ever seen on a football pitch” – provided the Barcelona starlet avoids burnout from excessive playing time for club and country.

Yamal became the youngest-ever player in Barcelona’s history to reach 100 competitive appearances in April this year, aged just 17 years and 291 days – two years after making his senior debut.

Ahead of Sunday’s El Clasico, TNT Sports pundit McManaman said fans are witnessing something extraordinary in the young winger but warned that his development must be carefully managed amid soaring expectations.

“He was the best 16-year-old, 17-year-old I’ve ever seen. So, if he keeps progressing like he’s been doing, he could be the greatest we’ve ever seen on a football pitch.

“Big words to say when you’ve got Lionel Messi in front of him, and you’ve got Cristiano Ronaldo, and you’ve got Zinedine Zidane, and you’ve got all these players who play for these two incredible clubs.

“But, he’s an 18-year-old now, the things he’s won and the things he’s done on the pitch already, he eclipses everybody as far as I’m concerned. He just needs to stay fit, and they need to use him correctly.

Also Read: Pedri, Not Yamal Is Barca’s Most Important Player –Garcia

“You don’t want him to be playing every single game for Spain and Barcelona, because I’ve seen it with Pedri, I’ve seen it with Gavi, I’ve seen it with Ansu Fati, I’ve seen it with Bojan, many, many moons ago. You don’t want kids who are that good getting big, long-term injuries. I hope they use him correctly. I think Hansi Flick will.

“Wrap him in cotton wool a little bit, because he’s incredibly special. As much as we’ve had Rodri and now Ousmane Dembele [as Ballon d’Or winners], I think the best players really are people like Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal. As world stars go, they are the heirs to the thrones of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.”