Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)

MBAPPE If you’ve already ruled the world, what’s left to achieve in football? PLENTY

- BY ANDY DUNN Chief Sports Writer @andydunnmi­rror

stressing he wants to start again as soon as it is safe.

The 20 clubs will meet again on Thursday hoping to confirm a return date as well as discuss fixture schedules.

MEDALS and honours mount up, the figures for future earnings become even more outrageous, but Kylian Mbappe is a 21-year-old footballer with history already on his mind.

The truncation of the French season in April confirmed the formality of a fourth Ligue 1 winners’ medal for M b a p p e . And Paris Saintgerma­in’s priority now is to keep the phenomenon in the capital for many years to come. That is why there is talk of a new £600,000-a-week contract, even in the Covid19 era. But whatever route his career path takes, Mbappe wants it to end with a legacy similar to those left, or being left, by his two idols.

“My first idol was Zinedine Zidane for all he achieved with the national team,” said Mbappe. “And then it was Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Cristiano has won so much and still continues to be a winner even after so much success.

“They have both left their mark in the game’s history and I want to leave my own chapter in the history books.” To emulate Zidane and Ronaldo, more accolades will have to follow for a striker who spearheade­d a World Cup-winning campaign at the age of 19. Zidane won a Ballon d’or in 1998, Ronaldo has won five.

Mbappe (left, with France teammate Paul Pogba) was ranked seventh in 2017, fourth in the 2018 voting, sixth in last year’s poll and would seem to be a surefire future winner.

“It would be nice to win – but it is not something that keeps me awake at night,” he added. “I don’t think I have to win it next season or the

 ??  ?? Mbappe was a World Cup winner as a teen star... but his eyes are set on further prizes
Mbappe was a World Cup winner as a teen star... but his eyes are set on further prizes
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