In England, there's great respect for Lamine Yamal. They admire his precocity and maturity, especially as he just turned 17 this Saturday. They don't hesitate to praise one of Spain and the Euro's brightest stars, a player who has recently broken records held by legends like Pelé and has an incredible future ahead.

Declan Rice was the latest to step up and make a request: "Play fair with Yamine Lamal," he asked in a meeting with the media at the British team’s training camp.

It seems Gareth Southgate’s team has learned from the tough lesson Adrien Rabiot experienced. On the eve of the semi-finals between France and Spain, the French midfielder praised Yamine Lamal, highlighting all his qualities and virtues but ended his speech with a phrase that will probably haunt him for a while: "If he wants to play a final, he'll have to show more than he has done," he stated.

The skilled Spanish winger responded with a historic goal. He later reminded Rabiot during the celebrations by approaching a TV camera after the match and saying, "Talk now, talk now," closing the debate. Now, days after those events, England treats and even pampers the genius of the Spanish team.

Rice, the midfield leader of the British team, was the most insistent about Yamal. He recalled his history to praise the young Spanish player: "When they beat France, I saw a fact: Yamal was 12 years old when COVID hit. That's quite scary and shows how good he is. He deserves applause. As a football fan and player, he deserves respect. It takes a lot of guts to play for Barcelona," he said.

"What he's doing at that age is very, very special. At 16, I was at home finishing school. I think 16-year-olds now are much older than they really are. I've seen stories about his father, and he’s had an incredible upbringing. He's kept his feet on the ground. That shows why he’s become a good footballer because he has good people around him who care and want him to do well. So, play fair with Yamine Lamal," he added.

The path of praise is almost always easier than that of criticism. The English delegation opts for that style. There are no challenges, no warnings. Only kind words for Spain's most impactful player. England's goal is to win the Euro and not repeat the tragedy of losing the final to Italy just three years ago.

"In the final three years ago, we were naive and learned from that. I think we’d do it differently now because we know what a final is like. In the last one, we went up 1-0 and didn’t attack as much as we should have. We've learned from that. And then there are other players who are very hungry. We talk a lot about what it would mean to win. 2020 hurt. It still hurts to this day. It's going to be tough. We can't overlook Spain. They’ve been an incredible country for many years, so we know they're very good," Rice concluded.