Be careful Pedri, flatterers can confuse and hurt you

Pedri doesn't need to be surrounded by flatterers. The Barcelona player is a brilliant talent who is destined to write his name into football's history books, both with his club and the Spanish national team. There's no need to rush deadlines, he'll meet them naturally. It's not convenient to hurry him. His talent is clear.

The problems come when the comparisons begin to be made, and so many are meaningless. It seems as though there's a need at Barcelona to create idols, and that can lead to young talent disappearing for a while. Flattery confuses.

Pedri has a good head on his shoulders. He's non-conformist on the pitch and fights. It's clear. He'll be the idol of this new Barcelona team, but enough with the comparisons. He's not Andres Iniesta, he's Pedri. He's not Zinedine Zidane nor Juan Roman Riquelme. He is a player with a gift for football, but those comparisons don't benefit anybody.

Journalists always like to compare, as do fans. Comparisons with Iniesta have been made by Barcelona's own staff. This isn't the time for that. Comparing him to Zidane will only confuse him, and it's not something Barcelona should encourage. That's why it was odd to hear Xavi Hernandez call him the world's greatest talent. It's just pressure on the kid.

It won't happen with Pedri, but in the same dressing room at Barcelona he has Riqui Puig, someone who knows all too well what it's like to have constant praise without having achieved anything in football. Everyone demanded his presence in the XI, but not the coaches. Now, few remember him.