Self-confidence is a strange thing.
While the majority of us have very low self-esteem and a sense of discomfort (he writes as a lone tear slides down our cheeks) we all have at least one friend who absolutely loves themselves.
Kylian Mbappe has revealed the secret to his success Aurelien Meunier / Getty Images
Now, that friend’s high opinion of themselves usually just makes them see an absolute p *** because they ecstatically roll away in the celebration after making a simple tap-in during a kickabout along the local park, but imagine having a friend who was actually confident and extremely talented.
Well, save a thought for friends of Kylian Mbappe.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker has revealed the secret of his rapid rise to stardom and claims that his mindset has been the key to his success and that he tells himself that he is better than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo before every match.
“The ego? Of course it’s important because when you’re serious, no one else will drive you,” he told RMC Sport (via Goal). “And you have to convince yourself that you can topple mountains.
Kylian Mbappe says he tells himself he’s better than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi David Ramos / Getty Images
“People do not understand ego, but when you are not feeling well, no one comes to your house to tell you that you can do it. It’s just you and your mindset. It’s just you. You have to convince yourself that you can do great things.
“Every time I go on the pitch I always say to myself that I’m the best and yet I’ve played on grounds where there were Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. They’re better players than I am, they’ve done a billion more things than I have.
“But in my head I always say to myself that I am the best, because that way you do not give yourself limits and you try to give your best.”
While most of us probably have a hard time understanding the concept of not absolutely hating ourselves (here comes the tear again), Mbappe admits that people struggle to understand how much confidence he has in his own ability.
Kylian Mbappe is one of football’s rising stars JEFF PACHOUD / Getty Images
“Of course, sometimes people do not understand because I think there may also be this barrier that is created in relation to this subject, where you do not really explain what I am,” he added.
“For people, the self is just not to give a friend a penalty, to have a better salary than the player in the rival team. It’s not only that, it’s also in the preparation. It’s a personal thing, to surpass yourself, it’s far beyond the superficial thing of saying “me, I”. But I think there is a lot to say about it. “
