“Hell no man, I was watching myself” - Berbatov on why he never focused on Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe at Manchester United and Monaco
Dimitar Berbatov has insisted that he never paid too much attention to Cristiano Ronaldo or Kylian Mbappe during his time with Manchester United and Monaco, respectively. The former Bulgerian striker shared the pitch with the Portuguese for one season at Old Trafford.
Berbatov left the Red Devils in 2012 to join Fulham, before moving to Monaco in 2014. A young Kylian Mbappe was earning rave reviews with the youth side at Stade Louis II during that time. The French superstar broke into the senior team the following season, when Berbatov left for POAK.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, the Bulgarian insisted that he has always been focused on improving himself instead of scouting his teammates.
“When you’re in a team, you watch more about yourself and how you can progress [and improve]. You’re not watching the other players and how they are developing," said Berbatov.
He continued:
“People ask me sometimes, ‘did you see [how] Mbappe [was developing] when he was in Monaco?’ Hell no man, I was watching myself. I still wanted to be in good shape at 33 and I was focused on myself and still bringing something to the team."
He concluded:
“I’m not going to watch other players. I can see their talent, but I’m not a scout, I focus on myself. Of course you appreciate your teammates for the different qualities they bring, but if you focus on them, you’re going to lose yourself."
Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid this summer on a Bosman move. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, currently plies his trade with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Can Kylian Mbappe break Cristiano Ronaldo's record at Real Madrid?
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid from Manchester United in the summer of 2009 and went on to become a Santiago Bernabeu legend. The Portuguese powered Los Blancos to silverware and glory, and eventually became their record goalscorer.
When the five-time Ballon d'Or winner left Spain in 2018, he had amassed 450 goals and 131 assists from 438 games for Real Madrid. The club are yet to sign such a prolific goalscorer since, but will be hoping Kylian Mbappe can do the job.
It is no secret that the French superstar has idolized Cristiano Ronaldo all throughout his career. The 26-year-old has registered 256 goals and 108 assists from 308 games for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
He has started his Santiago Bernabeu stint on a promising note, registering eight goals and one assist from 12 games so far. Los Blancos, as such, will be hopeful that the player can break Ronaldo's record and become their new record goalscorer.