As PSG prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final, key figures in winger’s career on why he can reach the top
“I am Désiré Doué. Kylian is Kylian,” says the Paris Saint-Germain forward, shirking the Mbappé comparisons. However, there is something reminiscent of his compatriot: the explosiveness, the agility, the unbridled self-confidence. Those traits have also earned Doué comparisons with his idol, Neymar, the most expensive jewel of Les Parisiens’ bling-bling era. But Doué isn’t some pastiche of PSG past; he embodies a different ethos entirely.
“Everyone is inspired by a player. For me, it is Neymar,” says Doué. The Brazilian’s panache has certainly been adopted by the Frenchman, as have his celebrations. But for Julien Stéphan, who managed him at Rennes, there is a uniqueness to Doué. “He is already a different player in terms of his personality,” Stéphan says. “Everything is oriented towards performance and reaching the top level. That is the first thing that left a mark on me. What is remarkable about him is his personality and the maturity for his age, and to what extent everything is already aligned in his daily life and his way of working.”
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