Lamine Yamal: Emmanuel Petit ‘would pay money to watch’ teenage Barcelona star who has ‘everything’ at 17 years old
Published 01/01/2025 at 14:50 GMT
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Emmanuel Petit is the latest former professional to feature on TNT Sports football show What I Wore, as the Premier League and FIFA World Cup winner looked back on his career through the various shirts he wore at Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and, of course, France. Petit discussed Barcelona and Spain starlet Lamine Yamal, while he also delved deeper into his time with The Gunners.
Arteta insists Arsenal will continue to fight for title despite gap to Liverpool
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Former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Emmanuel Petit has said that Lamine Yamal has "got everything" despite being just 17 years old.
Speaking on TNT Sports show What I Wore, the ex-France international spoke incredibly highly of the teenager while looking back on the different shirts he donned during his own career.
Asked who he rates highly in the modern era, Petit picked out Yamal, who is shining for both club and country – including Petit’s former side, Spanish giants Barcelona.
"It’s Lamine Yamal, 17 years old," Petit told TNT Sports, emphasising the teenager’s age as if he still could not believe it.
"He does things on the pitch incredibly. He’s having a great season so far with Barcelona, he won a big trophy last season with his national team, he was probably the best player during a European tournament – 17 years old.
"This guy, I would pay money to watch him. He can play right-footed, left-footed, he can dribble with both feet, so it’s impossible.
"And on top of it, he’s so dynamic, you know? With his feet, he’s quick, he’s fast and he always makes the right decision with the ball.
"On top of that, he’s got the vision, the intelligence, the movement, he’s got everything at 17 years old already."
Petit: I was around ‘crazy guys’ at 'right place' Arsenal
After nearly 300 matches in France, Petit left Monaco for north London in 1997 to join Arsenal under fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger.
He helped propel the club to the Premier League title in his first season, while he added the FA Cup to his haul before landing the big one with France that summer: the FIFA World Cup.
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Emmanuel Petit celebrating a goal with his Arsenal team-mates.
Image credit: Getty Images
Petit played 118 times for The Gunners before moving on to Barcelona in 2000, just three years after his arrival, but said he had "so many" good memories in the English capital.
"I have a big character and personality, and in France they used to put me away, on the side, all the time, pointing the finger at me," he said, speaking about his time at Monaco.
"When I first came to England, I thought to myself, ‘I’ve got much more crazy guys around me here’. It’s like rock and roll, loud music before the game.
"I remember Highbury in the dressing room, you had a bar [on the ceiling] and they were climbing like this [hanging from the bar], doing gymnastics with loud music and things like that.
"I loved it because this is the way I used to prepare myself every single game. Not putting too much pressure on the game, so when I entered the dressing room, I knew straight away I was at the right place."
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