The Athletic: Espart quickly adapted to his role and established himself in Barcelona's first team through resilience

According to a report by The Athletic, Espart has established himself in Barcelona's first team through resilience.

Just when you think La Masia has run out of surprises, Barcelona's academy produces another exciting young talent.

The latest player to secure a place in the squad of Spanish league champions Barcelona is Espart, a 19-year-old versatile player who was originally trained as a midfielder but has now entered Flick's plans at full-back.

Espart grew up in Barcelona's academy system alongside Yamal, Cubarsi and Bernal, but he had to wait longer than them for his chance to show himself in the first team.

Last season, he made his Barcelona debut as a substitute in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 away to Newcastle United. Although he played only around nine minutes, he left an impression. Five days later, he started Barcelona's La Liga match at home against Sevilla and again performed well.

When Barcelona successfully defended their Spanish league title last season, Espart was always part of Flick's plans. In his seven appearances across all competitions, he played right-back in all but one match.

Continuing the form he showed during this season's summer training — he also played in midfield when Spain U19 won the European title this summer — Espart has appeared in every match this season and has changed positions again.

Flick placed Espart at left-back in the first three matches of the new season, and the youngster seized the opportunity, producing impressive performances and providing two assists.

This has given German coach Flick a pleasant dilemma. His other options in this position include Cancelo and Mama Balde; the former returned to Barcelona on a permanent transfer on August 20, while the latter ultimately stayed after interest from Manchester United.

Espart, from the coastal town of Vilassar de Mar in Maresme, about a 20-minute drive north of Barcelona's coastline, joined La Masia at the age of eight in 2015. His style of play is often compared with Xavi's because Xavi is also his idol.

It was only after Flick arrived at Barcelona that people began saying his style reminded them of Philipp.

"When I watch him play, I really like his confidence on the ball," the 61-year-old coach said at a press conference last March. "He reminds me of Lahm. He can play as a No. 6 and also as a No. 2. I like watching his performances with and without the ball."

Espart's beginnings at Barcelona and Flick's assessment of him reflect his development path at the club. He also frequently changed positions in the academy, partly because other talented players were ahead of him and partly because of competitive pressure.

Marc Serra, who was responsible for seven-a-side football operations at the time, together with academy executives Aureli Altimira and Jordi Roura, approved Espart's signing.

"He is exactly the type of player we were looking for," Roura told The Athletic.

"He is technically gifted, understands the game well, thinks quickly and can anticipate play. However, not everyone believed he could make it. How should I put it? He is not a player like Yamal."

Until the U14 stage, Espart had always played as a No. 6. Afterwards, his coach Pol Planas moved Marc Bernal from attacking midfield to the holding midfield role, and Espart's importance decreased somewhat as a result.

In the following season, the U15 stage, Espart began playing more consistently as a full-back and switched between that position and his original midfield role.

Because coaches believed his development had been affected, La Masia's 11-a-side football coordinator Sergi Mila later suggested to Espart's coach Ivan Carrasco that he move Espart to right-back. Espart quickly adapted to the role and began to truly take off.

Even now, many people inside the club believe Espart will eventually return to midfield, although competition there is intense. Frenkie de Jong is 29, new signing Rodri is 30, Pedri and Fermin Lopez are 23, Gavi is 22, and Bernal is 19.

But the positional changes have brought out his best qualities. He has become much more confident. Previously, he was considered somewhat introverted and low-key. As his football talent became more evident, he also began to express himself more.

By the U17 and U18 stages, Espart had established himself in Barcelona's youth teams and began receiving call-ups to Spain's youth national teams, where he rotated between midfield and full-back.

At Barcelona, Espart could only watch as former teammates rose to fame one by one. Yamal made his debut in April 2023 at the age of 15; Cubarsi followed in January 2024 at 16; Bernal emerged at 17 in August last year before suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear.

His path of development has not been easy, and at first he did not look like a player who seemed destined for instant success. But he did not become discouraged, continuing to persevere and hoping his moment would come. Along the way, he learned resilience.

This summer, Espart knew Flick had shown trust in him, so he committed himself seriously to pre-season training. He also understood that because some first-team players from Spain returned late, he would have a greater opportunity to prove himself.

What happens next? For any 19-year-old player hoping to continue progressing in professional football, the road ahead is still long, especially for someone seeking a career at a top club like Barcelona.

But everything so far shows that Barcelona has uncovered another local gem in Espart, and fans are excited about it.