Sergi Roberto compared to Zidane

Barcelona academy graduate Sergi Roberto has been earning plaudits for his recent displays, and the man who discovered him claims the midfielder reminds him of Zinedine Zidane.

Roberto assisted both Suarez and Neymar in Barcelona's 2-0 victory over Getafe on Saturday which kept them level on points with rivals Real Madrid at the summit of the Spanish league standings.

Albert Benaiges, the scout who brought Roberto as a 14-year old to La Masia, has been astonished by the development of the midfielder.

"That flicked assist for Suarez's goal was of a top player, reminiscent of someone like Zinedine Zidane, Pele or Diego Armando Maradona," the coordinator of Barcelona's youth program told Goal.

"That type of play [to set up Suarez] doesn't surprise me from him, but you can only pull it off when you are confident and playing regularly, only then does a player dare to try these type of things," he continued.

"He's become a great player for this Barca side. He is bringing many things [to the team] and is performing to a high standard. He now looks more sure [of himself] and is well-regarded within the team.

"He's now got a clear place in the squad along with players like Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Andres Iniesta, all of whom have so much quality."

According to Beniages, the 23-year old will become an important asset within the Blaugrana as no player in the squad has created more chances than the youngster this season.

"His future? If injuries respect him, I don't have any doubt that he will be a very important player for Barcelona," Benaiges added.

Since making his debut in 2010, Roberto has played 68 times for the Barcelona first-team, scoring 5 goals for the Catalan club.