Mbappe admits early struggles at Real Madrid

Madrid: Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe admitted on Tuesday that he needed time to overcome problems adapting to the club following his move from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

Mbappe initially struggled for form and even missed two penalties, but has returned to his best in recent weeks, notching a brace against Las Palmas at the weekend to claim 18 goals in all competitions so far this season.

Speaking to the press ahead of Real Madrid's vital Champions League tie at home to RB Salzburg, the France international admitted his initial problems were all in his head.

"What happened to me was mental," he said, explaining the turning point came after he missed a penalty in his side's 2-1 defeat to Athletic Bilbao before Christmas.

"In Bilbao I realized that I couldn't do any worse. That's when I said to myself 'come on, you didn't come to Madrid to play badly'," he told the press.

He said he had been humble on his arrival at the club. "It's a team that has won everything and you can't come with demands, ordering 'pass me the ball'."

"I'm a player who always wants to do more; to give the maximum for myself and for the team. And when you see that you're not achieving it, it's normal that it affects you," commented Mbappe.

The striker insisted that he hadn't been affected by criticism. "When you're a player like me, with so many expectations, it's logical that people talk if you don't play well, but I don't take it personally," he said.

"In the world of football, when you play well, people talk well and when you do badly, they talk badly. You must always be calm and focused on your game," he said, content with his current form.

"It's been a month, or a month and a half since I've been in good form. I try to help the team as much as I can and I feel totally confident but I have to keep going. Because playing well for a month is easy; what you have to do is play well always," concluded the Frenchman.