Marseille's USA international starlet Konrad de la Fuente has paid tribute to France's FIFA World Cup winner and former Barcelona teammate Ousmane Dembelé for making him the player he is today.
Born in Florida to Haitian parents, the De la Fuentes moved to Spain in 2011 where Konrad's talent was spotted by Barcelona at the age of 12.
After following in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez & Co. by coming through the famed La Masia youth academy, De la Fuente made his first-team debut for the Catalan giants last season.
Though he only made three brief appearances, including two UEFA Champions League cameos, he trained regularly with the club's senior squad and found a fan and advisor in ex-Rennes man Dembelé.
"He's a very funny guy, always in a good mood," explained De la Fuente. "He's one of the best players in the world, he's been really unlucky with injuries. He helped me to feel good on the pitch, to play at the right tempo, and to have faith in my abilities."
After joining Marseille on a four-year contract this summer, the 20-year-old's qualities have come to the fore in his two Ligue 1 Uber Eats appearances to date, and Marseille fans — and OM coach Jorge Sampaoli — are excited at the prospect of what De la Fuente can bring to the team.
"He must be more consistent, but we've been surprised, my staff and I, we thought that he'd need a little more time to adapt to what we are asking of him. He has the characteristics to become a key player in the team."
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