Barcelona academy starlet has a secret ace up his sleeve – report | OneFootball

Hector Fort might not have featured a lot this season in the FC Barcelona first-team setup under Hansi Flick, but there is no doubt about the talent and potential that he possesses.

The 18-year-old right-back, who was courted by Valencia in the winter, has played in 12 matches for the Blaugrana this season, clocking a little over 300 minutes.

Game-time has been hard to come by for the La Masia graduate with Jules Kounde being the undisputed starter at right-back. But Fort has a secret ace up his sleeve which might help him improve his situation.

Fort’s versatility can be a big asset

Hector Fort is well known for his ability to play as a right-back and perform ably on the left flank as a left-back, as he did under Xavi Hernandez last season.

But, according to SPORT, a lesser-known detail about Fort is that, during his cadet stage, he regularly played as a centre-back.

Indeed, between 2020 and 2022, the teenage defender alternated between playing as a right-back and as a centre-back in youth football.

Hector Fort is extremely versatile. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

During the 2021-2022 season, under coach Ivan Carrasco, Fort had a fantastic season, often playing as a left centre-back.

Quick, alert, dominant in aerial duels, and with a competitive spirit, the teenager was one of the defensive leaders in a team where Lamine Yamal was the main attacking star.

Fort and Lamine were the only two players from that team to move directly to the Juvenil team managed by Oscar Lopez.

While Lamine shifted from a false 9 to play the entire season as a right-winger, Fort never returned to the centre-back position and went back to his original role as a right-back.

The high number of central defenders vying for positions in the first team is a challenge for Fort to return to the centre-back role in the short and medium term.

But the La Masia product is very young at 18 years old, and he holds an advantage over the other defenders as none of them can naturally play in all four defensive positions.