Real Madrid have had a long-standing interest in Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, and they came close to signing the 22-year-old back in 2014.
Mbappe visited Real Madrid’s facilities and was able to meet the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is his idol, and Zinedine Zidane, but in the end he remained in France.
“My parents wanted me to start my career in France, to be educated in France,” Mbappe revealed during an interview with L’Obs.
“To play football, but also to continue my education. To go to Spain, even if it was with Zidane, it was another country, another culture…”
The PSG star did not discuss his future, with his contract at the Parc des Princes set to expire in 2022, but he did leave some clues about his sporting aspirations.
“I always want to set myself challenges, because that allows you not to relax,” Mbappe said.
“Being on the pitch feeds me, it’s how I recharge. Thanks to that, I have the energy to face the other aspects of football.”
Mbappe also discussed his rapid rise to stardom, beginning with his time at Monaco.
“At the beginning it was hard to carry that weight, because I was so young,” he noted.
“I was an 18- to 19-year-old who loved to do 18- to 19-year-old things. But, on the pitch, I was asked to be an adult.
“When you want to get to the top, there is no room for immature people, no room for children. It’s an adult world and you have to be ready for it.”
Source: All Football
