Antonio Rüdiger Opens Up About Lamine Yamal: "He’s Quite Scary"
The Real Madrid defender surprised many by speaking candidly about the young Barcelona star. He expressed his hope that the player stays healthy and predicts a great career ahead for him.
Antonio Rüdiger, Real Madrid defender, stated that Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal, who at just 17 years old is already a key player for the Blaugrana, "is quite scary" and emphasized that he has a bright future ahead.
"He's only 17, and it's amazing. Barcelona has a player that, hopefully, stays injury-free because no one wishes harm on anyone. Luckily, he's healthy and has a great future. He’s quite scary," said the German on the podcast "The Inside Coop," where he highlighted that the young Spaniard, despite his age, has already become a European champion.
Haaland, "a beast"
Speaking about another prominent player, Manchester City’s Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, Rüdiger described him as "a beast" and warned that giving him space behind the defense is dangerous.
"I'm an old-school defender who loves these kinds of battles, especially with him because he’s a beast. I don't know what he eats or does, but his strength is incredible," Rüdiger remarked.
"With him, you have to be ready for a physical battle and, above all, not give him space behind you because he's very dangerous," added the German, who admitted that Argentine striker Sergio Agüero had been one of the toughest opponents to defend, causing him "many headaches."
When asked about the most underrated player, the center-back didn’t hesitate: "Mousa Dembélé, from Tottenham, had everything. I haven't seen anyone stronger than him because he was like a wall, and technically, pressure didn't affect him. He could always get the ball out, even if two players were chasing him—it was no problem."