The week that Real Madrid tested Mbappé at 13 years old, recommended by Zidane: “Small and skinny”
Rubén de la Red, former Real Madrid and Getafe player who hung up his boots in 2010 at the age of 25 due to a health problem, recalled in the program ‘COPE’s Great Game’ the week of December 2012 that he was training Kylian Mbappé when he was 13 years old in the Real Madrid youth academy.
A French boy recommended by Zidane came. It was very emphasized that Zidane trusted him a lot, and he was there with us, training and playing games.
“A French boy came recommended by Zidane. It was very emphasized that Zidane trusted him a lot and that we saw him train. We played a match between Cadet A and Cadet B… and there he was with us, training and playing a game,” De la Red explained to Juanma Castaño.
Mbappé was small, fine, thin and with speed that stood out, and a very good one against one
The former soccer player remembers Mbappé as “small, fine, skinny and with speed that was already outstanding, and a very good one-on-one.”
“In the little game he didn’t score a goal… but I don’t even remember how he played. But he was very skilled. His virtues were his speed and his agility in one-on-one situations,” said the man from Madrid.
Rubén de la Red’s joke to Juanma Castaño: “In that week Mbappé acquired the concepts he has today”
Juanma Castaño jokingly reminded Rubén de la Red that “from that week onwards was when Mbappé had the definitive explosion… you know that, don’t you?”
“There he acquired the concepts he has today… of course. Imagine if I had that magic wand. Right now I would be in the first team with Ancelotti with that magic wand,” the coach replied with a laugh.
