Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has issued a cautionary message to Kylian Mbappe as the French star prepares to join Real Madrid. Drawing from his own experience as a high-profile signing at Liverpool, Collymore advised Mbappe to approach his new role with humility.
Speaking with CaughtOffside on Thursday, Collymore, who once held the record as Britain’s most expensive transfer to Liverpool, shared his insights on handling dressing room dynamics. He emphasized, “Real Madrid players won’t care that he was a Real Madrid fan as a kid or that he had Cristiano Ronaldo posters on his wall.”
Collymore recalled the challenges he faced integrating with the Liverpool team. “When I joined Liverpool, within two or three weeks, my teammates thought I was some big-time Charlie,” he revealed.
He warned Mbappe about the risks of being perceived as arrogant or entitled. “Kylian Mbappe, who has been top dog and massively overindulged for so long, will have to fall in line quickly, be humble, and say the right things. If he doesn’t, there will be problems down the road,” Collymore cautioned.
Collymore stressed that despite Mbappe’s status as a World Cup winner and global superstar, he needs to earn respect within the Real Madrid squad. “Players like Dani Carvajal have been there, seen it, got the t-shirt. There’ll be two or three who will be watching how he is in the dressing room,” he said.
