Jesus Rodriguez, the Spanish international winger currently playing for Como in Italy, has lavished praise on Lamine Yamal, who is absent for Spain's fixtures against Georgia and Bulgaria in the World Cup qualifiers. He stated that Lamine Yamal is the player who has surprised him most and is a benchmark for his own development.

"The experience with Lamine Yamal has been amazing. He's the player who has surprised me the most. You see him doing incredible things on TV, but in training, he looks like he's got so much more to give. For me, he's the best player in the world and he's sure to achieve great things. If he keeps going like this, he has an unbelievable future. I always try to watch him as much as possible to learn from him, because he's a role model," he confessed in a press conference.

Jesus Rodriguez is in the Spanish squad for the second time, having made his debut last September, but this time without Alvaro Morata. His teammate at Como helped him during his first steps.

"In both my first and second call-ups, my teammates have given me an incredible welcome; it's an exceptional group. In the first one, I had Alvaro who helped me, but he couldn't be here this time. I've spoken to him and he's told me that he's going to keep working hard. The manager said that he's still counting on him, that he's a role model, and he's working hard for his next opportunity," he said.

"I'm a shy guy who finds it difficult at first. Morata helped me integrate more into the group, but they make everything much easier for you. Some of them joke around with me more because I'm young, but it's all good," he joked.

Having processed all the emotions of his debut and appreciating the significance of making his senior debut at 19, Jesus returns "calmly" and "as relaxed as possible", aiming to take advantage of Nico Williams' absence through injury to help Espana against Georgia or Bulgaria.

"Every time I come here, I give it my all; it's a source of pride to represent the senior national team of my country. I imagine the coach likes me because I'm doing things well, because of my qualities. I always try to repay the faith he has in me on the pitch," he asserted.

Having experienced the change from playing in Spain, which he explained is "more tactical and about possession", to playing in Italy with a game that is "more physical and defensive", he highlighted the role of his coach at Como, Cesc Fabregas.

"He has surprised me a lot because he's an incredible coach, very approachable, who helps young players a lot. He told me to make a name for myself with the national team by doing what I do every weekend, to play with confidence and that if I show it, I'll have the opportunity to come back next time," he acknowledged.

Finally, Jesus assessed LaLiga's initiative to take the match between Villarreal and Barcelona to Miami, something that he will also experience in Italy with his club, in a match in Australia between Inter Milan and Como.

"The home team is always going to be at a slight disadvantage, but if they've given the go-ahead it's because they see good things in it. It's true that if it were my home game and I had to play in another country, I wouldn't like it very much because I prefer to play in front of my own fans, in my own stadium. Wherever we play, we'll give it our all," he concluded.

J. Rodríguez

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