Xavi was full of praise for Barcelona’s history making teenager Lamine Yamal after their dominant 4-0 La Liga win over Real Betis.
La Blaugrana stormed to a key home win at the Camp Nou on the back of losing 2-1 away at Rayo Vallecano in midweek action.
Barcelona end the weekend with an 11-point lead over Real Madrid in the title race with just seven more points needed to clinch a first league title since 2019 in Catalonia.
Yamal’s late cameo at the Camp Nou created a new chapter in the club’s history as he became the youngest player to appear for the first team, aged 15-years and 290 days.
Xavi has predicted he will remain with the main squad in the season run-in as part of a renewed conveyor belt of La Masia talent.
“I told him to go out and try things, and he did”, as per reports from Marca.
“He is special. He could have scored, and made an assist.
“He is very self confident, he has shown what he can do. He has no fear and he is very talented.
As the latest talent to emerge from the club's famed youth academy, comparisons between Yamal and former graduates such as Lionel Messi are inevitable, but Xavi added his 'innate talent' draws similarity to the legendary Argentine.
'He's a similar player because he has that innate talent in the final third which is difficult to find.
'Lamine doesn't seem like a 15-year-old, he's very mature. He's ready [to play] and he is training well. He can mark an era at this club as part of this team.'
Messi made his first-team debut for Barca at age 16 in November of 2003, nearly four years before Yamal was born.
Shortly after the Argentinian forward would become a regular for the club's reserve side before winning his first league title with the club in the 2004-05 campaign.
Up next for Barcelona is a home tie against Copa del Rey finalists Osasuna, and they only need three more victories to seal the title.