Copying his moves? What moves are we talking about? Step-overs? The chop? I wouldn't call any of those his moves but the hairstyle, I get. But what you're mainly talking about is popularity, not actual talent evaluation. In 2006, you're not talking about prospects anymore, that conversation was in 2004 where they both pretty much broke out to the eyes of the world at the Euro. From that point until 2006-07 is when I'm saying Rooney was seen as the bigger prospect, at least by most people. Not the bigger star, not the flashiest, but simply the better, more efficient, more skilled (not in tricks and flicks but in overall game, passing, vision, etc) player out of the two.
That's my only point, I'm not discussing hype or popularity, but just this ridiculous notion that CR7 was this outstanding talent that everyone said would just be a matter of time until he was the best in the world. I remember that conversation about Messi or R9, and now Mbappe but not CR7. Obviously it doesn't mean anything as we see now 10 years on from their breakout seasons, but this revisionism of the talent level of CR7 is simply false, and if anything it takes away from just how much work he put in to go beyond the expectations the vast majority had of him as a player.
I can understand people being skeptical, because we are talking about two anomalies of football but that's just what it is, Mbappe (or Mcbappe) has the best chance out there and I wouldn't be surprised either. He's ahead of them in the CL at the same age by some margin, and has already accomplished things on the world cup stage that they have never (and probably never will) match, I'm not even talking about winning the world cup (because that's a team effort) but scoring goals in knock-out games, which neither of the two legends have ever done in their career (which is pretty shocking, to be fair to them).
