Cristiano Ronaldo has said Real Madrid must “look after” Kylian Mbappé and advised that the star forward must “do things his way” as he looks to follow in Ronaldo’s footsteps as a legend at the Bernabéu.
Mbappé has already scored 22 goals in all competitions in his debut campaign at Madrid, having faced criticism for his performances earlier in the season.
Ronaldo — who is Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer with 451 goals — was Mbappé’s childhood hero, and famously posed for a photo with Mbappé when the youngster first went on trial at the club as a teenager.
“Look after the lad,” Ronaldo urged, in an extract from an interview with Spanish TV show El Chiringuito, due to be broadcast in full on Monday. “The fans need to look after him. He’s very good. The club have to help to protect him, I have no doubt he’ll bring a lot of joy to Madrid fans.
“I love [Mbappé], not just because of his story as a kid, how he loved Cristiano, I was his idol,” Ronaldo said. “I think he’s a top player.”
Ronaldo revealed he now tunes in to watch Real Madrid’s games because his son, Mateo, is a fan of Mbappé.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner said he feels Mbappé still needs some help in adjusting to his role in the Real Madrid team.
“It’s complicated, because he doesn’t know how to play as a forward in my opinion — or rather, it’s not that he doesn’t know, but it isn’t his position,” Ronaldo said. “If I was at Madrid, I’d show him how to play as a number nine.
“I wasn’t a forward. I got used to it, but I was a winger. People forget that. I was a forward, but not a typical forward. I think [Mbappé] shouldn’t be a typical forward, he should do things his way.”
Mbappé has already won two trophies with Madrid, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and scored as Madrid were humbled 5-2 by Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa last month.
Madrid now face a testing few weeks, playing Leganés in a Copa del Rey quarterfinal before a Madrid Derby with Atlético Madrid on Saturday and then facing Manchester City in their Champions League knockout stage playoff.
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