Unbelievable Kylian Mbappe needs Roy Keane mentality as ego may stop him from being world’s best
Kylian Mbappe is one of the top footballers of his generation – but his attitude could stop him from becoming the world’s best player. That’s the opinion of former Premier League striker Troy Deeney, who believes the Real Madrid star must adopt a mentality similar to Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney. Mbappe is Real’s leading scorer this season having impressed since joining on a free transferGetty The 26-year-old has enjoyed an impressive opening season in Spain – banging 30 goals in 43 games in all competitions. His stunning Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City last month saw him create football history by becoming the youngest player to be directly involved in 500 goals. And the ex-Paris Saint-Germain forward will be hoping to continue his fine form into France’s two-legged Nations League quarter-final clash against Croatia on March 20 and 23. It’s a team he has fond memories playing against having scored in Les Bleus‘ 4-2 World Cup final win in 2018 when at his scary best. While some believe Mbappe is the world’s best player on current form – with ex-Real president Ramon Calderon insisting he’s the ‘next Ronaldo’ – Deeney isn’t having those shouts just yet. Commenting on his stunning goal contribution record in a chat with talkSPORT.com, Deeney was asked whether Mbappe is one of the world’s best players, to which he said: “One of, not the best. “This is going to sound mad, because when you say the numbers, obviously they’re ridiculous for his age. “But I think we get too caught up in the moment too quickly, remember at the start of the season he was stinky, and now obviously he’s feeling comfortable. “At PSG, was he great? I would argue probably not. So let’s see. I still think in that [Real Madrid] team, Vinicius [Jr] is more [of a world class talent] than him. “But I feel like Vinicius has taken a little bit of a back-step to accommodate Mbappe being in the team, but I think he’s ridiculous, obviously.” Deeney believes that Mbappe isn’t even the best player amongst his Madrid teammatesGetty Mbappe averages a goal contribution for France every 79 minutes The Los Blancos striker is on course to score more goals than Cristiano Ronaldo [33] in his debut season at Real Despite scoring four goals across two World Cup finals – and being just the second person along with Geoff Hurst [in 1966] to score a hat-trick in a final – Deeney doesn’t believe Mbappe justifies the tag of being the best big-game player on the international scene. Reflecting on him being omitted from Didier Deschamps’ French squad in October and November, Deeney remarked: “But he’s that good right? Was he playing good? The question is, was he playing good?” When reminded about Mbappe’s stunning 2018 World Cup as a 19-year-old where he scored four goals, Deneey stated: “Yeah, and how old is he now? That was seven years ago.” Having his say on Mbappe’s hat-trick against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final, Deeney then remarked: “No problem. Did he win? “Look, I think the guy is unbelievable and this is the problem. Now, we live in a game about stats. “So he scored the first hat-trick since Geoff Hurst, excellent. Well done. You pull up then a game when he was 19, he’s now 26. Mbappe is on course to become France’s all-time leading scorer Kylian Mbappe career highlights Monaco Ligue 1 title x1 Paris Saint-Germain Ligue 1 title x6 Coupe de France x4 Coupe de la Ligue x2 Trophee des Champions x3 Real Madrid UEFA Super Cup x1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup x1 France World Cup x1 UEFA Nations League x1 Individual honours Golden Boy x1 Ligue 1 Player pf the Year x5 Ligue 1 Golden Boot x6 World Cup Golden Boot x1 Champions League Golden Boot x1 “He has been left out of the last three squads [two] for poor performance, fall-out with players and fall-outs with the manager. “That’s not somebody that you can rely on. And it also shows as well that his ego gets the better of the team. “Don’t get me wrong, this guy is unbelievable, I will say it every time, unbelievable. “But when you start to look at the players in that French team that would look at him go, ‘You need to get us out of it, help us.’ “Does he strike you as somebody that is going to help anybody else other than himself?” It was then where Deeney insisted that Mbappe must take a leaf out of Keane and Rooney’s book in terms of how he must step up in key moments of matches. Keane’s mindset is a trait Mbappe should look at adopting, claims DeeneyGetty Mbappe is the youngest player in history to reach 500 goal contributions He continued: “He’s not exactly a slouch, he’s not playing for Charlton, he’s played for massive clubs the whole time – no offence to Charlton before you all start hating me for that! “But I just think when you talk about big-game players, I don’t think a big-game player is somebody who just scores in a final. “I think a big-
Kylian Mbappe is one of the top footballers of his generation – but his attitude could stop him from becoming the world’s best player.
That’s the opinion of former Premier League striker Troy Deeney, who believes the Real Madrid star must adopt a mentality similar to Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney.
The 26-year-old has enjoyed an impressive opening season in Spain – banging 30 goals in 43 games in all competitions.
His stunning Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City last month saw him create football history by becoming the youngest player to be directly involved in 500 goals.
And the ex-Paris Saint-Germain forward will be hoping to continue his fine form into France’s two-legged Nations League quarter-final clash against Croatia on March 20 and 23.
It’s a team he has fond memories playing against having scored in Les Bleus‘ 4-2 World Cup final win in 2018 when at his scary best.
While some believe Mbappe is the world’s best player on current form – with ex-Real president Ramon Calderon insisting he’s the ‘next Ronaldo’ – Deeney isn’t having those shouts just yet.
Commenting on his stunning goal contribution record in a chat with talkSPORT.com, Deeney was asked whether Mbappe is one of the world’s best players, to which he said: “One of, not the best.
“This is going to sound mad, because when you say the numbers, obviously they’re ridiculous for his age.
“But I think we get too caught up in the moment too quickly, remember at the start of the season he was stinky, and now obviously he’s feeling comfortable.
“At PSG, was he great? I would argue probably not. So let’s see. I still think in that [Real Madrid] team, Vinicius [Jr] is more [of a world class talent] than him.
“But I feel like Vinicius has taken a little bit of a back-step to accommodate Mbappe being in the team, but I think he’s ridiculous, obviously.”
Despite scoring four goals across two World Cup finals – and being just the second person along with Geoff Hurst [in 1966] to score a hat-trick in a final – Deeney doesn’t believe Mbappe justifies the tag of being the best big-game player on the international scene.
Reflecting on him being omitted from Didier Deschamps’ French squad in October and November, Deeney remarked: “But he’s that good right? Was he playing good? The question is, was he playing good?”
When reminded about Mbappe’s stunning 2018 World Cup as a 19-year-old where he scored four goals, Deneey stated: “Yeah, and how old is he now? That was seven years ago.”
Having his say on Mbappe’s hat-trick against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final, Deeney then remarked: “No problem. Did he win?
“Look, I think the guy is unbelievable and this is the problem. Now, we live in a game about stats.
“So he scored the first hat-trick since Geoff Hurst, excellent. Well done. You pull up then a game when he was 19, he’s now 26.
Kylian Mbappe career highlights
Monaco
- Ligue 1 title x1
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1 title x6
- Coupe de France x4
- Coupe de la Ligue x2
- Trophee des Champions x3
Real Madrid
- UEFA Super Cup x1
- FIFA Intercontinental Cup x1
France
- World Cup x1
- UEFA Nations League x1
Individual honours
- Golden Boy x1
- Ligue 1 Player pf the Year x5
- Ligue 1 Golden Boot x6
- World Cup Golden Boot x1
- Champions League Golden Boot x1
“He has been left out of the last three squads [two] for poor performance, fall-out with players and fall-outs with the manager.
“That’s not somebody that you can rely on. And it also shows as well that his ego gets the better of the team.
“Don’t get me wrong, this guy is unbelievable, I will say it every time, unbelievable.
“But when you start to look at the players in that French team that would look at him go, ‘You need to get us out of it, help us.’
“Does he strike you as somebody that is going to help anybody else other than himself?”
It was then where Deeney insisted that Mbappe must take a leaf out of Keane and Rooney’s book in terms of how he must step up in key moments of matches.
He continued: “He’s not exactly a slouch, he’s not playing for Charlton, he’s played for massive clubs the whole time – no offence to Charlton before you all start hating me for that!
“But I just think when you talk about big-game players, I don’t think a big-game player is somebody who just scores in a final.
“I think a big-game player is someone that drives people through and gets them out of the s***.
“And if you look at Roy Keane or Wayne Rooney or someone like that, someone that when things go wrong, go, ‘Give me the ball, get out of the way and watch what I’m doing.’
“I think when the circumstance is right and his head is right and he wants to be the best player, he can, but it’s not always the case.”
France will certainly be hoping Mbappe is firing on all cylinders against Croatia later in the week as Les Bleus target a second Nations League crown.
And Mbappe is eyeing up France history by becoming their all-time top scorer – something he could do in the near future.
With 48 goals from 86 appearances, he is just three strikes shy from equalling Thierry Henry’s tally of 51.
But it is Arsenal and Chelsea cult hero Olivier Giroud that leads the way with 57 goals.
And with Giroud announcing his international retirement in 2024, the pathway is clear for Mbappe to add another record to his name.
