‘I turned down Zidane’ – Mbappe

Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe has revealed he rejected the approaches of Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane to stay at the Ligue 1 club.

The 18-year-old revealed how in 2013, Zidane – then a coach at the club – held talks with him regarding a move to the Spanish capital, having persuaded fellow countryman Raphael Varane to sign from Lens two years earlier.

"I experienced that like a child who sees the greatest French player in history talk to him," Mbappe, who is one of the most highly-coveted young talents in Europe, told Telefoot.

"He was touching, honest with me. It was a great moment. In the end, I didn't join Real Madrid because I wanted to stay in my country, I didn't want to leave so early. It wouldn't have worked. I chose to come to Monaco and I made the right choice."

Having signed a 3-year deal with Leonardo Jardim’s side in March, he’s now drawing comparisons with Thierry Henry due to his acceleration and finishing ability.

"It's always flattering to be compared to great players, but I think each player wants to write their own history," he continued.

"Titi [Henry] wrote his, I hope to write my own. I hope it'll be better or as good as his, but I hope it'll be different. Each has his own."

Tags Kylian Mbappe Zinedine Zidane
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