The younger Mbappe emerging from his brother's shadow

It sometimes isn't easy being the younger sibling of a professional footballer - even more so when your brother happens to be one of the best players in the world.

Ethan Mbappe, aged 18, is the brother of Real Madrid star Kylian, eight years older. It is a significant shadow to try to emerge from.

Both players were at Paris St-Germain at the same time, but when Kylian opted to leave the French giants at the end of his contract and join Real Madrid last summer, Ethan's contract was also not renewed at the club.

Now at Lille and fresh from scoring his first goal for the club, Ethan is set to come up against PSG on Sunday, and will hope to make the headlines against the club where he started his career.

Goals grab the headlines, so given Ethan's position is a midfielder he is unlikely to outshine his brother in that department.

But the youngster is seen as an exciting talent in his own right.

His mentality was praised as he broke through from the PSG youth system, appearing to cope well with the weight of expectation that came with being an Mbappe.

Laurent Glaize, a former head of youth recruitment at Caen, spent three years tracking a young Kylian and became close to the Mbappe family during that time.

Speaking about Ethan in 2022, he told TNT Sports: "He is a balanced, well-educated kid who is respectful even if he is obviously in the shadow of his brother, which is not easy for him.

"But I find him calm and with a real personality. I find that he manages this pressure rather well. He does not mistake where he is in the game, even if he is already being asked for autographs more for his name, than for what he has done, because he is still very young."

Praised for his football intelligence, calmness on the ball and passing ability, Ethan impressed the coaches at PSG and was given his league debut at just 16, coming on as a late substitute in a 3-1 win against Metz, with Kylian having scored two of the goals.

"Ethan is a very interesting player who can play in several positions," PSG boss Luis Enrique said after that game.

"I am sure he will play again. He has a prestigious surname, which is difficult to live up to."

In total, he made five appearances for PSG before leaving at the end of his contract last summer, although there was some controversy around his departure.

Kylian has previously implied, external that Ethan not getting a new contract at PSG was linked to his decision to leave and join Real Madrid, and was willing to instead stay at the French giants if it meant his brother got a new deal there also.

"It's the thing that affected me the most," Kylian said.

"He [Ethan], didn't ask for anything. His Real Madrid was PSG. What Real meant to me, his childhood dream, was PSG.

"At one point, I even told him: 'If you want me to, I'll extend [my contract] and you can stay, we'll stay here.' I would have given up my dream of Madrid and stayed for him.

"Ethan told me... 'I don't want to stay here. What they did to you, what they did to me, it's not normal.' If he had told me, 'Kylian, it's what I want', I would have given up my dream of Madrid and stayed for him."

Ethan's first season at Lille was hampered by injuries, which denied him the opportunity to face his brother in a Champions League match last September.

"My dream of facing my brother in the Champions League is distant, but it has not disappeared," Ethan said on social media after he was ruled out of that match.

Ethan made just a handful of first-team appearances last season but now free of injury, he will hope to establish himself as a first-team regular.

He has already achieved a significant milestone by scoring his first goal for Lille earlier this month - an injury-time volley to secure a 2-1 win against Toulouse.

That dramatic winner briefly put Lille top of Ligue 1 and although they have since dropped to sixth, Ethan continues to be involved in the first team, having made two further league appearances.

With Lille competing in the Europa League this season, there will be no opportunity for Ethan to realise his dream of facing his brother in a competitive match just yet, but that leaves him with the opportunity to focus on making a name for himself in his own right.