Rivaldo: 'We could ruin Pedri’s career if we put too much pressure on him'

Pedri is a great player but the veterans to step up and take the pressure off of the youngster, Rivaldo says.

The Brazilian believes that Messi will leave next summer, and Pedri will have to take on more responsibilities then.

"We could ruin Pedri's career if we put too much pressure on him. He's only 18 years old. This is precisely why veterans need to step up and assume their responsibilities," Barcelona icon Rivaldo has told Betfair.

"Nobody denies that he’s a great player. There’s already talk about him playing in the European Championships with Spain. But that doesn’t mean anything – he still has to go through his normal process and play football as [Ronald] Koeman instructs him.

"Messi will probably not continue [at Barcelona] next season, so Pedri will have more responsibility. But for now, he mustn’t change."

Despite being only 18 years old, Pedri is already an integral part of Koeman's team, having missed only one match this term so far. In 22 appearances for the Catalans, the midfielder has recorded three goals and two assists.