RVP WOWED BY ‘SUPERKID’ KYL

ROBIN VAN PERSIE knew that Kylian Mbappe was destined for the top.

The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker saw the then unknown French teenager produce an amazing 20 minutes in a behindclosed-doors friendly.

Van Persie had just joined Turkish side Fenerbahce in 2015 when he was given a close-up of the striker (above).

Mbappe, who is now

22, faces a race to be fit for Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League semi-final against Manchester City on Wednesday. He came off with a thigh strain in their win over Metz yesterday.

Van Persie recalled: “We went into a training camp in Switzerland just before the season began.

“I remember us being in Lausanne, where the club had organised a friendly against Monaco.

“Just before I was substituted, a really young kid came on for Monaco.

“His name was Kylian Mbappe, and, in Europe, nobody had really heard of him yet.

“But we, as players, had heard while we were in Switzerland, that Monaco had some kind of special player on the bench for the game.

“We were playing on a very average pitch of a local amateur club.

“But in those 20 minutes Mbappe played, he was so incredibly explosive, so skilful. It really was stuff from another level.

“I decided to watch his every move. I looked at him, and I said to all the others on the bench ‘If this kid is not going to be a world star I am going to eat these football boots I am wearing.’”

Van Persie is such an admirer of the City academy he sent his son, Shaqueel, to learn from United’s rivals when he was a star at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman, now working in Feyenoord’s youth system, holds up Mbappe, though, as an example for his young players to follow.

Van Persie added: “Kylian has been working so hard on every aspect of his game and now has all the weapons.”