Bojan bidding for greatness

Although the 6th UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup in Barcelona last week brought together some of the finest young footballers in Europe and Africa in two Under-18 select squads, local attention was largely focused on one player: Sixteen-year-old FC Barcelona forward Bojan Krkić.

Luxembourg success
The teenager is the son of a former FK Crvena Zvezda player of the same name and, with Krkić senior now working as a scout for Barcelona, it is little surprise his son has been part of the club's youth sides for several years already. Bojan, who has a Catalan mother and has been billed as a future Barça star in the local press, came to widespread prominence last summer at the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Luxembourg when with five goals - all of which were scored as a substitute - he finished as the tournament's joint top scorer.

No need to rush
He was back on form in the first leg of last week's UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup, coming off the bench to score Europe's fifth goal in a 6-1 first-leg win at the Min Estadi, next to Camp Nou. Proof of his ever-increasing status came in the post-match press conference when four television crews and ten reporters crowded around to hear a few words from the softly-spoken teenager, who modestly downplayed his promise. "I feel a bit of pressure playing in front of my home crowd, especially today, but once the game started it was a lot better," he said simply. "My career is going well right now but I have to take it step by step, progress slowly and try not to rush ahead."

'Big chance'
Europe’s coach Iñaki Sáez was more eloquent, drawing comparisons with a current Barça star when assessing the forward's promise. "Bojan has great qualities; to become a good player you need quality, strength and intelligence and he can combine all three things. [Andrés] Iniesta is an example of what a player can achieve if he does this. The most important thing is to try not to do things too quickly. Bojan has big chances, particularly as he's now at an age where he can be selected for the U17 and U19 national teams - and even my U21 side. He can also play for Barcelona's B team, which is a very high level, but we don't want to be in a hurry. Everything depends on how he progresses."

Born to score
The forward has already shown a keen eye for goal, and Sáez believes that priceless quality will stand him in good stead throughout what he hopes will be a long and successful career. "The players who score at an early age continue to do so," he explained. "They have a real knack for goals - a nose for it. Julio Salinas is one who scored lots of goals as a young player and continued to do that throughout his career; it's a real feeling. You are born with it."