Ebrima Tunkara is special – Juliano Belletti gives his verdict on Barcelona’s latest wonderkid

Barcelona Atletic coach Juliano Belletti has hailed 15-year-old Ebrima Tunkara as a “very special talent” after handing the teenager his first start for the reserves in last weekend’s meeting with Valencia. The Gambian-born full-back, long earmarked for promotion to the senior squad, rewarded Belletti’s faith with an eye-catching display that has accelerated talk of a future first-team breakthrough.

Speaking to Sport, the former Brazil international underlined both excitement and caution as Tunkara negotiates the jump to professional football. “Ebrima is special. But we can’t forget how young they are,” Belletti said. “The experience of having been a footballer gives us this, to understand if we can put such a young player. Ebrima has done very well.”

The coach also praised a clutch of other emerging prospects, name-checking Álex Campos, Shane Kluivert and Villar for their impact off the bench, yet it is Tunkara who has most captured his imagination. “Ebrima has something different, but when he goes up a category it is difficult to maintain this positive consistency. He’s going to have a lot of difficult things along the way, it’s absolutely normal. The issue is how he is going to respond at this time.”

Tunkara’s introduction against Valencia was followed by a second taste of third-tier action on Sunday, the youngster appearing as a second-half substitute in the 1-1 draw with Atlético Baleares. With every minute monitored inside the club’s famed La Masia structure, the full-back’s progression will be carefully managed as Barcelona weigh the benefits of fast-tracking their newest gem against the physical and mental demands of senior football.

For now, Belletti’s message is clear: the talent is undeniable, but the path from prodigy to protagonist is strewn with challenges only time, temperament and tenacity can navigate.