KYLIAN MBAPPE HAS thanked Neymar for helping him to adapt to life at Paris Saint-Germain after his whirlwind transfer.
Mbappe joined PSG from Monaco in August on an initial loan deal that precedes a €180million switch at the end of this season, with Neymar having swapped Barcelona for the Ligue 1 giants earlier in the month to become the world’s most expensive player.
The duo have been in sparkling form as PSG romped through their Champions Legaue group, while Mbappe has scored seven league goals and Neymar a further 11 to help Unai Emery’s men establish a nine-point lead atop the Ligue 1 table.
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Mbappe, who celebrates his 19th birthday on Wednesday, credited Neymar with helping him to settle in at PSG, although he regrets being unable to live like a typical teenager.
“Neymar immediately took me under his wing and integrated me,” Neymar told France Football.
“Since I cannot go out too much, I bring a lot of friends home, we play, we laugh, we think about something other than football, these are the only moments where I can behave like a boy of my age.
Becoming a good player so quickly made me miss a lot of the normal life of a normal teenager.”
But Mbappe, who has hit four goals in his last five PSG appearances, believes playing football cannot be compared to other jobs.
Those who talk about the sacrifices that they make throughout a career, I do not understand too much,” Mbappe added.
“For me, the real sacrifice would be getting up early in the morning to work.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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'Becoming a good player so quickly made me miss a lot of the normal life'
KYLIAN MBAPPE HAS thanked Neymar for helping him to adapt to life at Paris Saint-Germain after his whirlwind transfer.
Mbappe joined PSG from Monaco in August on an initial loan deal that precedes a €180million switch at the end of this season, with Neymar having swapped Barcelona for the Ligue 1 giants earlier in the month to become the world’s most expensive player.
The duo have been in sparkling form as PSG romped through their Champions Legaue group, while Mbappe has scored seven league goals and Neymar a further 11 to help Unai Emery’s men establish a nine-point lead atop the Ligue 1 table.
Mbappe, who celebrates his 19th birthday on Wednesday, credited Neymar with helping him to settle in at PSG, although he regrets being unable to live like a typical teenager.
“Neymar immediately took me under his wing and integrated me,” Neymar told France Football.
“Since I cannot go out too much, I bring a lot of friends home, we play, we laugh, we think about something other than football, these are the only moments where I can behave like a boy of my age.
But Mbappe, who has hit four goals in his last five PSG appearances, believes playing football cannot be compared to other jobs.
“For me, the real sacrifice would be getting up early in the morning to work.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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Football kylian mbappe Ligue 1 Neymar normal teenager PSG Sacrifice