‘I Will Never Forget How He Helped Me in My Early Days’ – Kylian Mbappé Opens up About His Friendship With Neymar

Coming off the heels of Neymar Jr.’s interview with TF1, Kylian Mbappé decided to speak with the media too. The 22-year-old talked to France Football (via Diario AS), where he touched on his relationship with the Brazil international. 

One of the first topics that Mbappé decided to discuss concerning Neymar is over how the 28-year-old conducts himself on the pitch. The Paris Saint-Germain forward states that his teammate does more than try and dribble past opponents. 

“Neymar knows how to do everything,” Mbappé said. “He is the best in the world. When he arrived in Paris, we realized everything he can do.”

“He’s not a player who puts on a show and dances when we’re 5-0 up. He can also do spectacular things at 0-0. I don’t know if everyone is aware of it, but Neymar understands everything. He has an instinct that makes him see everything instantly.”

Furthermore, Mbappé elaborates on how great players want to play alongside great players, which is the case with the two capital club superstars. 

“I’ve always believed that great players are made to play together and that was clearly true about us. From the moment I arrived in Paris, our statuses were set: Neymar is the heart of the project, and I’m there to help him,” Mbappé said.

“This is because when I arrived at PSG, I was only a rising star, and I had to confirm it on the pitch.”

In 2018, Mbappé played a significant role in helping the France national team captured the FIFA World Cup. Mbappé discussed how there was no animosity from Neymar after Brazil had fallen in the quarterfinals to Belgium. 

“No. There has always been a lot of respect and honesty between us. It’s the basis of our relationship,” Mbappé said. 

“Ney is someone I think very highly of, and when I came back from the World Cup, I was disappointed for him. I always tried to change the subject with him about the World Cup.”

Finally, Mbappé touched on Neymar the person, who the public doesn’t get to see daily. Furthermore, the 22-year-old discussed how the Brazilian took him under his wing, much like Lionel Messi did when Neymar arrived at FC Barcelona in 2013. 

“Neymar is a good guy, a far cry from those caricatures of an arrogant kid. I will never forget how he helped me in my early days,” Mbappé said. 

“When you’re 18, and you come into a big dressing room, it’s never easy. In these big teams, 60-percent of your success depends on your football. The other 40-percent on how well you acclimatize to the dressing room. [Neymar] helped me, and I’ll never forget that.”

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Tags Kylian Mbappé Neymar
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