FC Barcelona is an institution where those with adequate merits will see their quality be returned with respect. Irrespective of age or years under their belt, players of a high caliber are always welcomed and treated with the proper respect and admiration should they possess the right skill set to earn such praise.
In recent years, many young gems have popped up in the Barcelona first team. From the time of Dutch manager Ronald Koeman to current Barcelona head coach, Xavi Hernandez, a select group of youngsters have been given a chance to shine and even few have merited their stay in the first team.
The Golden Boy’s golden character
One of those youngsters is 19-year-old Pablo Gavi from La Masia. The young midfielder possesses tenacity and technical ability beyond compare and it is something that many around the world that have seen him play acknowledge him to certainly possess.
However, a certain attribute of the former Golden Boy winner that is particularly underappreciated is his leadership and winning character. As highlighted by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, the young gem showcased this trait of his in the recent match against RCD Mallorca that ended in a 2-2 draw.
A major reason for that draw was the second goal conceded by Barcelona right before the halftime whistle. Having worked quite hard to level the score through Raphinha’s brilliant strike, Barcelona were once again put on the back foot due to a massive defensive miscommunication that resulted in Mallorca scoring their second goal.
Visible frustration
In a video released by a fan that was focused on Gavi, the youngster is shown visibly frustrated after the second goal and perhaps the only vocal outlet on the field demanding his teammates to do better without directing it towards any particular target.
While this serves as a good reminder that footballing maturity does not just come through age but is also found through other means such as dedication to one’s craft, Gavi surely has a great future ahead and one that is already showcasing its results, being one of the best Barcelona players by far in the recent clash.
However, Barcelona will collectively need to straddle up and align themselves once more. With important games coming up ahead, the Catalan giants can not afford any more mishaps and must regain their lead in La Liga while simultaneously being competitive in the Champions League.