Be humble in Madrid, former Liverpool striker tells Mbappe
Stan Collymore, a former striker for Liverpool, has warned Kylian Mbappe ahead of his Real Madrid debut.
Collymore, who was himself a prominent acquisition for Liverpool, counselled Mbappe to take a humble approach to his new position.
Collymore, who previously set a British record for transfers to Liverpool, talked with Caught Offside on Thursday and offered his observations.
Declaring, "They (Real Madrid players) won't really care that he (Mbappe) was a Real Madrid fan as a kid or that he had Cristiano Ronaldo posters on his wall," he emphasised the significance of Mbappe skilfully navigating the dynamics of the dressing room.
The former striker talked about his struggles to fit in with Liverpool's squad during his time there.
"There's no doubt in my mind that when I went to Liverpool, my teammates thought I was some big-time Charlie within two or three weeks of signing and after all the happy, clapping, 'hey, how are you doing, do you want to come out with us for a beer and be our friend?' kind of thing," Collymore said.
He cautioned Mbappe about the dangers of coming across as conceited or entitled.
"Kylian Mbappe will need to step up pretty soon, be modest, and say the correct things since he has been the top dog and severely overindulged for so long. There will only be issues in the future if he doesn't, according to Collymore.
Collymore emphasised the difficulties prominent newcomers encounter in adjusting to new team environments. He suggested that despite Mbappe’s status as a World Cup winner and global superstar, he need to earn respect within the Real Madrid squad.
According to Collymore, "there will be two or three that will be looking at him and seeing how he is in the dressing room. Players like Dani Carvajal have been there, seen it, and got the t-shirt."