Fermin Lopez has revealed that Xavi told him to "have personality" before coming off the bench to score a crucial goal for Barcelona.
The 20-year-old hit the headlines during their summer pre-season tour of the USA, scoring and assisting against Clasico rivals Real Madrid in a friendly, earning his place in Barca's senior squad for the 2023/24 campaign as a result.
After two substitute appearances in recent weeks against Villarreal and Royal Antwerp, Fermin was given another chance to impress on Tuesday evening when he was brought on for the final 26 minutes of their La Liga clash with Mallorca.
Fermin would go on to play a huge role in Barcelona coming away with a 2-2 draw, scoring his first goal in a competitive game for the club to salvage a point.
Speaking to DAZN after the game, Fermin revealed that head coach Xavi's words on the touchline helped inspire him to make the point-saving contribution.
"Xavi asked Lamine Yamal and me to go for it, to have personality. The team tried until the end. We leave with that as a positive, but we have to be self-critical," he said.
The young midfielder also insisted that, while scoring a goal for his boyhood club was a 'dream', Barcelona were ultimately disappointed with the result on Tuesday evening.
"I am happy to have scored my first goal with this shirt, with the club that I dreamed of as a child, but it is the least important thing. We are hurt by the result, but we are going to correct the mistakes and go for Sevilla," he added.
"I try to do what the coach asks of me and help the team as much as possible. I am very grateful to Xavi for the trust and the opportunities. It is difficult to imagine a year ago that I would be where I am. It was a year of learning and it has helped me fulfil my dream. Now the goal I set for myself is to continue helping the team."
Fermin will be hoping to get his first start for the Barcelona senior team on Friday when they face off against Sevilla at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.
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This article was originally published on 90min as What Xavi told Fermin Lopez before his first Barcelona goal.
