Neymar: PSG teammate Mbappe taught me ´to be French´

Neymar has credited Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe for helping him adapt to Ligue 1 saying he taught him ‘to be French’.

The 29-year-old Brazil international has been with PSG since 2017, winning numerous honours including three Ligue 1 titles and reaching last season’s UEFA Champions League final.

Neymar has formed a close bond with 22-year-old Mbappe, who he’s played alongside since his move from Monaco in 2017.

“He taught me a lot about the way ‘to be French’… He explained to me the French mentality,” Neymar told France Football.

“I owe a large part of my adaptation to him, and, therefore, my happiness to be here.”

Neymar lavished praise on Mbappe from both a personal and football side, labeling him PSG’s ‘golden boy’.

“First of all, I was very touched by the man he is,” he said. “Kylian is very considerate, always happy, polite and kind to everyone.

“He is a very beautiful person. That’s why we’ve got along so well since our first contact.

“Then, of course, I had the opportunity to watch him train, to observe his speed, his dribbling repertoire, his intelligence and to see his humility to keep evolving. There, I said to myself: ‘he is our golden boy!’.

“Speed alone doesn’t mean anything. You have to be smart to use it properly, and Kylian is. He is not only very smart and fast, but he also has a huge repertoire of dribbling.”

A look back at the win in the first leg vs Bayern Munich (2-3) pic.twitter.com/fiQBiltJeh

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 12, 2021