French sensation Mbappe taking stardrom in stride
PARIS — At just 18 years of age, Kylian Mbappe is the hottest property in soccer and the French sensation admits to being surprised by how quickly his star has risen.
“I always had lots of imagination when I was little, so I am not going to say that I hadn’t imagined it,” Mbappe said when asked if he expected to have won a league title and become a full international at such a tender age.
“I imagined succeeding early, but I didn’t really think things would happen so quickly.
“Of course, I always believed. The players who have succeeded in their careers are the ones who believed in themselves.”
Billed as the new Thierry Henry, Mbappe made his top-flight debut for Monaco in December 2015 at age 16, but it is in the past six months he has gone from a player of great promise to one of the biggest stars in Europe.
He scored 15 goals to help Monaco win a first French title since 2000 and won his first cap for France in March.
He is now being linked to mega-money moves to one of the continent’s biggest sides this offseason, with Real Madrid leading the chase alongside the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and both Manchester clubs.
On Tuesday, he earned his fourth cap for Les Bleus, starring in a 3-2 friendly victory over England in front of almost 80,000 fans at Stade de France
in action against England’s Phil Jones in Tuesday’s friendly.
On Wednesday he was speaking at the Edouard Rist clinic in Paris in his role as an ambassador for an association called “Lead Climbers,” which backs sporting initiatives for hospitalized children.
Mbappe has taken on a lot of responsibility for one so young but he thrives on his new status, as his assured nature before the glare of the cameras attests.
But such self-confidence should not be mistaken for arrogance, he said.
“No, it is a strength. But having belief in yourself is not enough — you also need to work hard and always respect the people around you.
“I think when you show respect to people, they respect you back. But it is important to be yourself.
“That is part of my personality. I have always been a kid who doesn’t get carried away,” added Mbappe, who hails from the often deprived northern suburbs of the French capital.
“My entourage has always helped make life easy for me and I never had any real difficulties growing up.”
Mbappe was unlucky not to score his first international goal against England, hitting the bar in the second half before setting up the winner for Ousmane Dembele.
At times he had the Stade de France crowd gasping with his skill. He is already an idol for aspiring young soccer players, but accepts that being in the public eye and acting as a role model is a key part of his job.
“That is the business we are in. Everyone would love to be in our shoes,” he said.
“I don’t mind that people expect a lot from me. When I was a child I had idols, too.
“You place them on such a pedestal that they can’t do anything wrong. That is a challenge, because it allows us to keep learning while also making sure we continue to serve as a good example to these young kids.”
Arsenal will host Antonio Conte’s champion on Jan 1 in the usual packed festive period program that will see the teams play four matches apiece between Dec 23 and New Year’s Day.
For those Arsenal fans who are superstitious, the omens are good for the Europa League campaign as the Gunners open their league program at home to 2016 champion Leicester.
The last time Arsenal did that (1999), the Gunners went on to reach the UEFA Cup final (the predecessor of the Europa League), losing to Galatasaray.
The first week of December will sees an intriguing couple of derbies, with Liverpool hosting Everton and the Manchester derby — Pep Guardiola’s City traveling to take on Jose Mourinho’s United at Old Trafford.
For the trio of newly-promoted clubs, their opening matches see second tier champion Newcastle hosting Spurs, while Premier League debutant Brighton entertains Manchester City and Huddersfield is away at Crystal Palace.
With both Brighton and Huddersfield favored to be mired in a relegation battle, they face daunting run-ins at the end of the season.
Huddersfield, out of the top flight since 1972, faces Chelsea, Everton, Manchester City and Arsenal in its last four matches, while Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool are the opponents in three of Brighton’s final four games.
Bookies reacted to the schedule, with William Hill making Chelsea a 3-1 favorite to retain its title while Manchester City is 2-1 to win it.
Huddersfield is 4-5 for the drop, with Brighton and Burnley favored to join them at 6-5 and 5-4 respectively.