"Made me dream as a child" - Cristiano Ronaldo and 2 other players inspired him, says Bayern Munich star Mathys Tel
Bayern Munich striker Mathys Tel has named Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, and Kylian Mbappe as the players who have inspired him to reach greater heights.
Tel, once a player for French amateur side JS Villiers-le-Bel, is now set to feature in the UEFA Champions League semi-final with Bayern Munich. The Bavarians play Real Madrid in a clash of European heavyweights.
Ahead of the tie, 19-year-old Tel has revealed how watching his favorite stars growing up made him dream of achieving big things in the beautiful game. He told FedEx's Outside the Box (via UEFA's website):
"I used to watch it on TV when I was younger. There was Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe. They all had different qualities, they were fast, they scored goals, they made great passes. They taught me so much and made me dream as a child."
This season, Tel has made 38 appearances across competitions for Thomas Tuchel's team, scoring nine goals and providing five assists. In the Champions League, Tel has scored twice in eight appearances, including a stunning finish against Manchester United in the group stages of the competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo was a nightmare for Bayern Munich in the Champions League
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich meet in the Champions League for the first time since the 2017-18 season. Los Blancos were the victors on that occasion, winning 4-3 on aggregate to progress to the final of the competition.
While Cristiano Ronaldo didn't score in either leg of that tie, the Portuguese superstar tormented the Bavarians in the Champions League on multiple occasions. He boasts a stellar record against Bundesliga giants as well.
Ronaldo has come up against Bayern eight times during his career, winning five, drawing one, and losing two. He has scored nine goals and provided one assist against the Bavarians. His hat-trick in the 2016-17 season and braces in the 2013-14 and the 2011-12 seasons are still fresh in fans' memory.