´Anyone would have him!´ – Casillas excited to see Mbappe at Real Madrid

Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas believes the European champions have brought in someone special with the signing of Kylian Mbappe.

France star Mbappe announced he was leaving Paris Saint-Germain in May before making the move to Madrid earlier this month, ending a years-long transfer saga involving the two teams and the striker.

The 25-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the winners of LaLiga, who he will join as a free agent in July after his contract with PSG expires, with Brazil sensation Endrick also set to arrive in the Spanish capital.

With Mbappe joining a side containing a wealth of talent already, which recently captured the Champions League, Casillas is impressed by the squad that Madrid have put together.

“Mbappe is a very good player,” Casillas said. “Everyone wants to have him; anyone would have him in their respective team.

“Real Madrid have a brilliant president and brilliant people around them. Forming a team like this is something impressive.

“You can learn a little from the past and in that sense give some continuity to the team as a great club with great players.

“Real Madrid has them. We will see how they continue to mesh and how they can continue giving joy to the fans.”

Un sueño hecho realidad.
Muy feliz y orgulloso de formar parte del club de mis sueños @realmadrid Es imposible explicar lo feliz y emocionado que me siento en este momento. Estoy impaciente por veros, Madridistas, y gracias por vuestro increíble apoyo.
¡Hala Madrid!

A… pic.twitter.com/YTumusAXT6

— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) June 3, 2024

Mbappe was tipped to be one of the most influential players at Euro 2024, but his tournament looked in danger of ending early when he suffered a broken nose in France’s opening game against Austria.

“With Mbappe out, France may suffer a little,” two-time Euros champion Casillas added, with Mbappe’s status for France’s next matches uncertain.

“But France have a team with very good players and there has been a bit of a revolution by Didier Deschamps.

“So France can certainly still be a contender and get to the final of the Euros, but we now must see if France can play as well without him.”

Spain are the only team to win back-to-back editions of the European Championships, with Casillas captaining the side in both 2008 and 2012, while also leading them to World Cup glory in 2010.

This year, Spain have a more youthful look to the squad, with Lamine Yamal becoming the youngest-ever player to appear at the Euros at 16 years and 338 days old.

16 – At 16 years and 338 days, Spain’s Lamine Yamal is the youngest player to ever appear in a game at the UEFA European Championship finals. Sweet. pic.twitter.com/gmhgObMZ0O

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) June 15, 2024

The teenager got an assist in Spain’s 3-0 win over Croatia in their first match of the tournament, and Casillas is pleased to see Luis de la Fuente giving young players a chance on the big stage.

He said: “It is good to see that young players continue to emerge in football in Spain and are being considered stars of the future. It is good for the entire team.

“Only [Yamal] can prove if he will be a great player – solely and exclusively, him, and of course, the trust and effort that goes in.

“Let’s see, with the confidence and maturity he has, plus the other team-mates who will support him, if he can become a very good player for Spain.

“We know that the strength of the team comes from the depth and we need to continue having these players emerge.”

Iker Casillas is a brand ambassador for Hisense’s UEFA EURO 2024 campaign BEYOND GLORY which celebrates the relentless pursuit of excellence shared by professional footballers aiming for EURO honours and Hisense’s commitment to pushing boundaries in the home appliance industry.