US talent Adrian Gill from FC Barcelona in an interview: “Love the pressure”

TM interview

The news made headlines in the United States: a 16-year-old US talent with an apprenticeship contract at FC Barcelona. Born in Denver, Colorado, Adrian Gill has spent the last few years in Catalonia after his parents moved there to work and has been part of Barça’s academy for four years. Ahead of signing his professional contract, Gill spoke to Transfermarkt.us about his time and development at Barcelona and his ambitions to represent USA at the 2026 World Cup in North America.

“When I was ten years old, my parents moved to Spain with my family to work,” says midfielder Gill when asked how a US teenager came to Catalonia. There he played at Cornellà. At the local club in Barcelona, ​​Gill was spotted by the scouts of the famous Barca academy La Masia. “They offered me a month-long trial and then I was signed pretty quickly.”

In Barcelona, ​​Gill continued to impress and Blaugrana extended his contract until the youth stage. “It’s all very exciting,” says Gil. However, the family quickly realized they needed help navigating the complicated world of international transfers and it was at this stage that Remington Ellis management and CAA Base stepped in to facilitate contract negotiations. Gil emphasizes, “You were so helpful throughout the process.”

Barça talent Gill shies away from Iniesta comparison – “Proud of my leadership qualities”

The young central midfielder has already been compared to former Barcelona star Andrés Iniesta. The newspaper “Sport” described him as a “perfect footballer” and multifaceted “in technical, physical and tactical terms”.

Gill shrinks from the Iniesta comparison, describes himself as a box-to-box player and number 10. “I see myself as a versatile player because I can take the ball well anywhere on the pitch,” says Gill. “I like creating scoring chances for the team and I take pride in my defensive work and leadership skills.”

Skills honed at Barça over the past three years. “It’s amazing to train with such high quality players and to learn from the staff and their wealth of experience,” says Gil. “I don’t think there are many environments in the world that are more competitive and intense than here and I love every aspect of it. I had to get pretty tough mentally to compete with the best players in the world day after day. There’s always someone who wants my spot. I love the pressure.”

Gill on everyday life in Barça’s youth – “Full time” in Juvenil B

It’s also exciting to hear Gill talk about daily life at Barça’s La Masia academy. The players are picked up with a shuttle before training in the afternoon, he says. Then they train in the studio before going out onto the pitch for an hour and a half. This is followed by stretching and rehab, then the shuttle back home.

Adrian Gill with the number 10 in action for the FC Barcelona youth team. The midfielder is being compared to Andrés Iniesta.

Academy time gets more intense as players advance to the Juvenile category. Next year “full-time,” says Gil. “I will have breakfast at La Masia, train and then also do my homework at the facility. It will be great to be at the facility all the time and I will work hard to be taken to the next level.”

Gradually, Gill hopes to make his way into Barcelona’s first team, although he admits he hasn’t had much to do with the pros. “My goal is to get into the first team at Barça and play for the United States at the 2026 World Cup,” says Gil. Then the tournament will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. However, Gill knows he still has a lot of work to do and is fully committed to playing on the US youth teams. His short-term goal is to take part in the U17 World Cup and get promoted to the Barça B squad.

But what about Barça’s plans with Gil? “I played with Juvenil B once this season,” Gill said when asked if he knew what the club were planning to do with him. “I expect to remain in the Cadete A for the rest of the season before being promoted to the Juvenil B team next season.” The prospect is clear: step by step, Gill is getting closer to his dream, for the big FC Barcelona and the US national team to be on the pitch.

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