Crowded stands, stormed railings. Every move ofEthan Mbappe with the PSG u17 team resembles that victorious in Vitré (3-0), Sunday 17 April. Often appreciated by agents, recruiters or families of players, the arrival of the brother of the world champion and phenomenon Kylian Mbappé leaves the PSG u17 excursions to a less specialized, curious audience to see if French football has a new nugget.
In Vitré there was more crowd than for a pennant team game in National 2. Every ball touched is an opportunity for his “groupies” to chant or call out his name. A bodyguard protects him from all external stresses and leaves him no where from getting off the bus to entering the field. “It’s also the PSG effect, explains Stéphane Royer, coach of the U17 of Avranches (2-1, March 26). I don’t know if we realize that. He is not yet 16 years old. Something’s bothering me there. Even if I think it’s still well framed, you have to be strong. But if it bursts at some point, I wouldn’t be surprised. †
“He could be u15 within a week”
Stéphane Moreau, his trainer this season, nuances and is pleasantly surprised by his mental ability to withstand the pressure around him. “He is very simple and humble. He has such maturity and mastery over the event. It is out of step with his attitude as a player in training. But he handles it very well. †
And on the ground, what does it matter? let’s not see Ethan Mbappe a copy-paste of his brother Kylian. Arriving at PSG at age 11 in 2017, this midfielder under contract with ambition until 2024 This season usually evolves in a two-man environment into the role of sentry or torchbearer (19 games, 4 goals). He is still growing and is only 15 years old (he debuted in the category at age 14), but he owes a head less to some of his teammates and opponents who are nearly two years older for some.
As a result, the one who first experienced the selection in December 2021 during an internship with the France u16 team, people usually do not go to a duel, or with the brakes. Mainly because he doesn’t have the extraordinary physical qualities of his brother. “We must not forget that it is the end of the year. Within a week it could be u15, remembers Stéphane Moreau. He still needs time. Because going along with the u19 is winning. He will come. Maybe he still needs a development in maturity and physical level, because he has grown enormously. It will also expand. † Once the growth is complete, the play volume should take on another dimension.
“I think he will turn pro. But at what level? »
In the game, he is a player who does not bother with more than three or four touches to the ball. He always receives, distributes, orients himself towards the goal. It is clean and applied. “A la Fernando Redondo”, some have fun with the comparison game. We see in him a real intelligence of the game, just as when he dares to take offensive initiatives, he has a quality of interesting passing.
“He can cross lines with passes and dribbles, remembers Stephane Royer. He picked up to play the game, he dezoned. He managed to project himself during the break. † But hard to form a real opinion in the face of weak opposition. PSG are a juggernaut in this u17 championship. The Parisian Titis largely dominates the ball in every game, resisting low blocks and rarely playing under heavy counter pressure. This gives Parisian circles enough time to spread the game.
“He already masters three essential words on a training project: listen, understand, do. From there you continue. He implements everything we can offer him in this approach”, adds Stéphane Moreau, former coach at Stade Lavallois.
Listening, he is on the ground a lot. From his coaches, but also from his teammates. His personality does not (yet) reflect on his team’s game, even if that means giving way. This is also due to his young age. He is the youngest player on his team. “He has to confront quickly at this level to harden himself”, his trainer adds. In any case, there is little doubt for Stéphane Royer: “I think he will turn pro. But at what level? It’s too early to say.”
