At the weekend we saw a new man walk out onto the pitch in the Barcelona number 10 shirt.

This is one of the most famous shirts in football, worn by some football legends including most recently Mr Barcelona himself Leo Messi. But this time it was a fresh young talent donning the jersey, and the name on the back was Ansu Fati.

The 18-year-old had been out with an injury for 323 days, but upon his return he gave Barcelona a new lease of life. The club has got off to a slower than usual start in La Liga, but the young man Ansu Fati has restored some hope after a goal on his return. 

It’s been a tough year or so for many, but for Ansu too as he has had 4 operations on his knee over the last 11 months. But now he’s back and his last-minute goal against Levante to complete a 3-0 win for Barca was the perfect way to make a comeback.

He plays with a fearlessness, and this must be something he carries away from the pitch as was unfazed by taking on the famous number 10 shirt after Messi’s departure.

His way of thinking and handling the game is unique. He has the confidence, mixed with speed and intelligence that made me think he is a young man with an experienced man’s way of thinking. This is how the game needs to be played.

The only thing you have after such an injury is to see if you can get back to your best. He has shown some great signs already after coming back and hopefully he can get back to his best as soon as possible.

It seems like there is a lot of pressure on this young man now, but he’s shown to this point that he is capable of handling it and even thrives off it. That’s something the very greatest players all seem to have in common, so it’s going to be exciting to see how far this guy can go! #mmlove