Kylian Mbappe was in the Stade Pierre-Mauroy stands on Sunday night as his younger brother Ethan scored a late equaliser for Lille in their clash against PSG – and his reaction has gone viral.
Last summer, as his older sibling completed a move to Real Madrid, the highly-rated Ethan Mbappe also said goodbye to Luis Enrique and Paris Saint-Germain.
But unlike his brother, the 18-year-old midfielder remained in France and signed a three-year deal with Ligue 1 side Lille. “I had to create my own path, my own story," he said at his unveiling, as per GFFN.
"At PSG, I would have stayed in my brother’s shadow. I think LOSC is the right choice for that”
Advert
Ethan, who was handed his league debut by PSG at just 16, coming on as a late substitute in a 3-1 win over Metz, also opened up on the difficulties that came with bearing Mbappe’s name at Les Parisiens.
“It’s complicated at the beginning because you always have to be good, people will criticise you and expect you to be like your brother," he added.
"When that’s not the case. It’s a difficult name to live up to, but I manage it perfectly. I’m trying to write my story.”
Ethan has impressed since joining Bruno Genesio's side and, although he was denied the opportunity to face his brother in the Champions League last year after suffering an injury, the midfielder made up for it on Sunday night.
After coming off the bench against former side PSG, he scored a superb 85th-minute equaliser, cutting in on his left foot before beating goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier with a decent strike from just inside the area.
Moments later, he pointed towards his family, who were watching from the stands, and cameras managed to capture Kylian Mbappe's delighted reaction as Ethan performed his brother's iconic celebration.
Ethan made just five appearances for PSG before leaving at the end of his contract. It's fair to say he answered his critics on Sunday.
How Kylian Mbappe reacted to his brother's move
A few months after Ethan's transfer to Lille and Kylian said he would have been willing to stay in Paris if it meant his brother got a new deal at the Parc des Princes.
"It's the thing that affected me the most," Kylian told Canal+ in December. "He [Ethan], didn't ask for anything. His Real Madrid was PSG. What Real meant to me, his childhood dream, was PSG.
"At one point, I even told him: 'If you want me to, I'll extend [my contract] and you can stay, we'll stay here.' I would have given up my dream of Madrid and stayed for him.
"Ethan told me... 'I don't want to stay here. What they did to you, what they did to me, it's not normal.' If he had told me, 'Kylian, it's what I want', I would have given up my dream of Madrid and stayed for him."
Topics: Kylian Mbappe, PSG, Ligue 1, Lille
Jack Kenmare