Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has said that he hopes to step out of Franck Ribery’s shadow when his veteran compatriot leaves Bayern.
Coman, 22, has long been touted as the natural successor to Ribery, who is expected to end a glistening 12-year spell at Bayern this summer.
Yet in an interview with Kicker magazine on Thursday, Coman insisted that he is not a carbon copy of his fellow French winger.
“Franck has his career and I have mine. I am not the new Ribery, I am myself,” he said.
Having missed the first half of the season with injury, Coman has established himself as a regular starter under coach Niko Kovac.
A key part of Bayern’s generational shift under Kovac, the 22-year-old has been first-choice left-winger in recent weeks.
He scored twice in Bayern’s 4-1 win over Duesseldorf last Sunday, but told Kicker that he still needs to improve.
“As a winger I should be scoring more goals,” he said.
“I bring a lot of good qualities, but I am still a long way away from being world class.”
Coman, whose contract runs until 2023, said that he could match Ribery’s longevity in a Bayern shirt.
“I can really imagine staying here for a long time,” he said.
