La Masia’s 16-year-old expertise will quickly practice with the senior group – report

Barcelona’s 16-year-old goalkeeper Iker Rodriguez is ready to coach with the primary group within the coming days, in accordance with a report from SPORT.

In simply three weeks, Rodriguez will have fun his seventeenth birthday. Having been a part of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy since his earliest footballing days as a pre-benjamin, he has emerged as one of many academy’s most promising goalkeepers. 

His performances haven’t solely made him a starter for Spain’s U-17 nationwide group however have additionally earned him a status as a extremely formidable younger expertise from Sabadell.

Flick has taken notice of him

Barcelona supervisor Hansi Flick and his teaching employees have taken discover of Iker’s progress and determined to offer him the chance to coach with the senior squad. 

This expertise will permit them to evaluate his improvement and gauge how he would possibly match into future plans for the primary group.

Curiously, this won’t be Iker Rodriguez’s first expertise coaching with the senior aspect. 

He has beforehand shared the pitch with established goalkeepers like Inaki Pena, Wojciech Szczesny, Ander Astralaga, and Diego Kochen.

His first coaching session with the primary group got here in September 2024, shortly after renewing his contract with the membership.

Who’s Iker Rodriguez?

Rodriguez is a part of the gifted 2008 technology, which additionally contains standout gamers like cousins Guille and Toni Fernandez. 

Identified for his outstanding peak and wonderful technical and bodily attributes, the younger goalkeeper has the instruments wanted to succeed in the highest stage of soccer.

This season, the 16-year-old has made 9 appearances with Juvenil B and has been referred to as up 4 instances for Juvenil A, that includes in a single match. 

His performances have constructed on a stellar marketing campaign final season with Cadet A underneath Arnau Blanco, who now serves as one in every of Flick’s key assistants. Blanco’s function has been essential in serving to academy gamers combine with the senior group.