The recent emergence of Stefan Bajcetic at Liverpool has caught the attention of many within the game.
The 18-year-old Spanish midfielder looks to be an incredibly bright prospect, and it seems that Liverpool may have found themselves a gem for the future.
Of course, every young player needs a mentor, and Liverpool’s Thiago Alcantara seems to be the perfect man for the job.
According to Jurgen Klopp, Thiago has taken Bajcetic under his wing and is showing him the ropes at Anfield, and this should excite every Liverpool fan up and down the country.
You see, Thiago comes from an incredible lineage of midfielders. Schooled at La Masia, Thiago is the latest in a chain of midfielders who have taught each other the tricks of the trade over the years.
This all started back in the late 1990s when a certain Pep Guardiola found himself a protégé by the name of Xavi Hernandez.
Guardiola quickly took a shine to Xavi and helped teach him all he needed to know about being a midfielder for Barca, famously quipping that Xavi would eventually retire him – of course, that prediction came to pass.
Then, when the time came, Xavi took on an understudy of his own, this time it was Thiago who was going to receive a footballing education from one of Barcelona’s greats, and, of course, he went on to form his own brilliant career at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, where he was also, ironically, managed by Guardiola.
Now, the time has come for Thiago to impart his wisdom on someone younger, but this time, he’s not at Barcelona to find the next great Spanish midfielder in Guardiola’s mould.
Luckily for Thiago though, there is a young Spaniard coming through at Liverpool in that same mould.
Indeed, Bajcetic looks to be every bit a Barcelona midfielder in the way he plays. He’s an incredible passer and he reads the game as well as any 18-year-old we’ve ever seen.
Bajcetic looks to be the next in line in this chain of command that has gone from Guardiola to Xavi to Thiago and now to Bajcetic.
Bajcetic has only just broken through Liverpool, and he is still adapting to life as a first-teamer. However, having someone like Thiago to learn from could be a massive boost to his development. The Spanish midfielder could teach Bajcetic about the tactical side of the game, as well as the mental aspects of being a professional footballer.
Furthermore, the fact that both players share a Spanish background could help foster a strong bond between them. Bajcetic could learn from Thiago’s experiences and pick up on his work ethic and professionalism. The Spanish midfielder is a model professional, and he would be an excellent role model for the youngster.
All in all, Bajcetic couldn’t ask for a much better mentor than Thiago at Liverpool.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
