Former France and Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly reckons 19-year-old Les Blues striker Kylian Mbappe has more natural ability than Premier League legend Thierry Henry.
Desailly was part of the France side that won the 1998 World Cup which featured talented teenagers like Henry and David Trezeguet.
”I liked the way Mbappé was strong physically, stood up to the opposition and was able to resist in a physical battle. He has no fear, and that’s where I am reminded of Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet from 1998.’’ Desailly wrote in the Guardian.
”They also possessed this insouciance and ambition that allowed them to perform on the biggest stage in the world. I remember the shootout against Italy in the quarter-finals when they stepped up to take a penalty when some of their more experienced teammates really didn’t want to – me included. And they both scored.”
”It is early to be comparing Mbappé with Pelé or Thierry Henry, however much I understand the need to find parallels. At the same age, I would say Thierry did not have the same ability as Mbappé but he had intelligence, brain and the desire to become the best.”
Mbappe’s display against Argentina was one of the stand out individual performances of this summers tournament in Russia, although he has a long way to go before he matches the type of career that the brilliant Henry had.
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