PSG striker Kylian Mbappe says Cristiano Ronaldo was his childhood hero, but that is no longer the case.
The striker is touted as a potential successor to the Real Madrid star at the top of the world’s game, but he hopes to outshine him this season as they get set to clash in the Uefa Champions League.
The 19-year-old’s impressive displays for Monaco last season and PSG this term have seen him being regarded by some as a potential successor to Real Madrid star Ronaldo as one of the world’s biggest stars.
But the two will go head-to-head in the last-16 of the Champions League when PSG take on Madrid, and Mbappe is going with the intention of outshining his childhood hero.
“He is a hero from my childhood and it was amazing to meet him when I visited Valdebebas,” he told Marca.
“But I am a competitor and a person who is very competitive and all I want to do is win, win, win. So it doesn’t really matter who is in front of us, we want to win.
“I admired him when I was younger, but that ended. Now I go to the Bernabeu to play and to win.
“From someone who has won five Ballons d’Or you can learn a lot. He’s a great player, but I have those here too. Neymar is here and I think he is very similar and is at practically the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo. I learn from [Edinson] Cavani as a goalscorer too.”
