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NxGn star Doku: I'm a better dribbler than Neymar or Mbappe
The 18-year-old has excelled since joining Rennes and is happy to be outperforming the Paris Saint-Germain stars in one metric
Rennes winger Jeremy Doku has boasted that he is the best dribbler in Ligue 1, ahead of Paris Saint-Germain duo Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
The 18-year-old joined the French side from Anderlecht in October and has impressed in his 31 appearances in all competitions.
Doku, who came in 14th in Goal's list of NxGn stars, says he has always been a keen dribbler and is happy to be top of the pile in Ligue 1.
What has been said?
“When I was little, it was often said that I dribbled too much. They would tell me to stop. But I kept going," he told Het Laatste Nieuws.
"This is one piece of advice I give to young dribblers: keep doing it, even if you don't get there right away. Don't hide. A lot of it depends on how confident you are. When I dribble, I know I go past my man half the time.
"I saw the statistics recently. I'm the best dribbler in Ligue 1. Not bad in a league with Neymar and Mbappe, eh?"
He added: "High-level stars play here, the players are stronger and faster than in Belgium. You don't see a Neymar or an Mbappe in the Belgian league.
"Also, all teams can win here. Nantes recently won against PSG. Even the 'small' teams would do very well in Belgium."
Doku on his lack of goals
Despite his bright performances, Doku has scored just one goal in the French top flight this season.
But he insists his game is not all about goals and says he would not be picked if he was not playing well.
"It's mostly people who look at the statistics. People in Belgium know very well that I haven't scored much in the past. I'm not Zlatan Ibrahimovic," he said.
"Be careful, I understand that there are criticisms when we only look at the stats. But those who watch every game know I'm doing well. Otherwise, I wouldn't always be in the starting XI, right?"