The Barcelona attacker, 18, will be a key part of Spain's push next year to complete the Euros and World Cup Double.
De la Fuente declared to 60 Minutes: "I have known him since he was a child at 16 years old and in the evolution he has had he is still a young man, but we have had a very close relationship.
"We have had many conversations almost from father to son and he values that and has always appreciated it. I always I have treated him with great respect, as it could not be otherwise. And he exactly the same to me.
"He listens well, he listens a lot when you try to interpret that you are trying to help him.
"We all trust that the growth and room for improvement he has is fantastic. We don't know how far it can go. I don't like comparisons. (Lionel) Messi is an exceptional footballer, also historic and has the possibility of achieving it. He hasn't arrived yet. He still has a long way to go.
"Where can he go? Well we don't know. We don't know if in ten years God wants him to have no injuries, to have no setbacks, to play normally. We'll see where he can go. I insist, he can become an era player, a historical player, like (Lionel) Messi or (Diego) Maradona, or like Cristiano (Ronaldo) like those players who are unique, but it depends a lot on him.
"We are going to help him as much as we can, but it depends a lot on him. The great footballers have made themselves, they are the ones who have done the most to be able to go very far."