Kylian Mbappe showed his softer sider before helping PSG retain their Ligue 1 crown at Strasbourg.
The Parisian giants secured the title for the ninth time in 11 seasons, courtesy of a 1-1 draw. Mbappe, captaining the side, played a pivotal role, creating the game's opening goal for Lionel Messi in the second half and despite Kevin Gameiro levelling for the hosts, PSG are now four points clear of second placed Lens with just a game to go.
But the post-match talk on Mbappe wasn't just about his pivotal on-field contribution, or the speculation linking him to a move to Real Madrid. Instead, the 24-year-old was glowingly praised following an unfortunate incident in the warm-up.
One of his pre-match shots flew into the crowd and struck a young girl in the face. The fan was visibly bleeding afterwards, holding a handkerchief to her nose as Mbappe made his way into the crowd to check on her.
And after showing genuine concern, the French international then helped security escort her out of the stand and down the touchline, where she took up a place on the PSG bench. Mbappe then remained whilst she received further medical treatment, with the cut being cleared up by staff members.
The club captain has received criticism for his perceived arrogance this season, after signing a new contract last summer which gave him an element of control in the running of the club. But his show of compassion towards the supporter drew praise after footage of the incident was posted on social media.
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"Going straight into the Football Respect compilation," wrote one fan, while another said: "Seems like every time I see a headline about Mbappe it’s pushing some narrative about him being a diva, and I every time I see a video of him speaking to the press or interacting with people he seems grounded and mature for someone with such a spotlight on him."
But despite his action, and lifting another league title with PSG, the star continues to be linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid. Mbappe is due a huge £78 million cash bonus if he remains in France for another year, but is not an obliged to extend his contract beyond the summer of 2024.
And Real have been pursuing the 2018 World Cup winner for considerable time, with La Liga chiefs submitting a complaint to UEFA over PSG's financial model when they failed to land him last year.
But with Messi moving on in the summer, and Neymar also seemingly heading for the exit door, Mbappe is reported to be discontented after another failed European campaign which saw the club knocked out in the last 16 of the Champions League.
