Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed he was initially called "crazy" for claiming that Kylian Mbappe was comparable to legendary Brazilian Pele.
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The iconic French tactician has always had a good eye for spotting prodigious young talent, having unearthed the likes of Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet during his illustrious career at the likes of AS Monaco.
Another alumnus of the famed French club is Mbappe, and while recently recalling his first glimpse of the Bondy native a few years ago, the three-time Premier League winner said he was ridiculed for claiming that the now-France captain has the same capabilities Pele had.
"At the time, I was told that I was a little crazy, but that was the spontaneous impression I had without thinking," Wenger told Telefoot.
"He has enormous potential. He must improve in the heading game.
"This guy has the trigger of a high jumper, so he needs to head goals for us.
"He will be 25 years old [in December]. I think that from 25 years old to 32, 33, or 34, what is at stake now is how far he is willing to push himself to constantly question himself and continue progressing.
"His next challenge is here."
It seems the ex-Gunners manager has not completely missed with his early assessment of the Paris Saint-Germain talisman, with Mbappe having gone on to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup, almost completing back-to-back triumphs in the competition after scoring a hat-trick in the final of the 2022 edition too.
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There is still perhaps a long way to go for Mbappe to achieve the iconic status the late Pele attained, but given his early exploits with the national team and his prolific nature for Les Parisiens, he seems to be well on his way.
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