Former Real Madrid youth coach Ruben de la Red has revealed why Kylian Mbappe failed to impress during his trial at the club as a youngster.
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Mbappe had a trial at the age of 13Had been recommended by Zinedine ZidaneWasn't signed by Los BlancosWHAT HAPPENED?
Mbappe was called in for a trial at the age of 13, after being recommended by Los Blancos legend Zinedine Zidane. Of course, the Spanish club opted not to sign him as a teenager, and have instead parted with an exorbitant amount of money to bring him on a free transfer, making him the highest-paid player at the club.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Mbappe was coached during his trial by De la Red, who has now explained that the World Cup winner was a slight, small kid and that numerous players of his build simply fall away as the demands of the professional game grow too intense. For the ex-PSG star, that is not what happened, however.
WHAT DE LA RED SAID
De la Red was aked about Mbappe's trial by AS and replied: "Everyone keeps calling me about this. Just like any other kid who comes to train at Valdebebas. Every now and then a player would come, and look how far he's come! And how hard he must have worked to get there.
"Zidane brought him because he was a boy he knew. He came to try him out. He had his little things; speed and dribbling. Physically he was very thin and tiny. He hadn't developed yet and at the end of the day when you're 12 or 13 years old, it's very difficult to know if you're going to make it in the professional world. Many players like Mbappé have fallen by the wayside."
Asked if he expected the superstar to develop as he has, he replied: "Neither he nor anyone else. In the end, history tells you that very few make it to the professional world. And at Mbappé's level, just imagine. That is a long-distance race in which he has been lucky and has worked hard."
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
France head to Euro 2024 this week and will play Austria, the Netherlands, and Poland, with Mbappe surely out to further his legend in Germany. He has already won the World Cup, after all.