Teen idols tipped to light up the TV screen
IT was always going to be a battle between two top teams but England’s friendly against France on Tuesday could now also be the stage for the coronation of Europe’s top teen.
At some point Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, 19, and French sensation Kylian Mbappe, 18, are set to go head-to-head in a showcase of talent that a host of the world’s major clubs will monitor closely.
Former Arsenal and England stalwart Lee Dixon will have a front-row seat in his role as pundit for ITV and he believes the millions of fans watching on TV could be in for something special.
We all know what young Rashford is capable of.
French teenager Mbappe, meanwhile, is already being hailed as the new Thierry Henry and is tipped to become the world’s most expensive footballer – six months before his 19th birthday – after his dramatic arrival on the international stage in March.
Since then Mbappe, whose goals helped knock Manchester City out of the Champions League last season, has become one of the most coveted young talents in world football.
Dixon is a huge fan and, he revealed, so too is Henry.
“I had a chat with Thierry recently about the lad and he was as excited about him as the rest of us,” he said.
“Anyone who likes the Thierry Henry style of football will love Mbappe. He is a really exciting player, but people forget he is so young.
“If I want to know about strikers, I always talk to a striker as they see things others miss. Thierry noticed that Mbappe explodes onto a game, but can drop off in the last third because of his age.
“But he’ll get better with age and experience.”
Dixon is also relishing the prospect of seeing Rashford take on the French defence.
“I am a big fan of Rashford as well,” he said. “He makes some great runs.
“His enthusiasm doesn’t always show on his face, but the way he gets disappointed when he doesn’t get the ball is massive.” France v England is live on ITV from 7.30pm on Tuesday.