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It's often difficult being the brother of a soccer star - especially when your brother happens to be among the top athletes in the world.

Ethan Mbappe, who is 18, is the brother of Real Madrid superstar Kylian, who is almost a decade older. It's a substantial legacy to step out of.

The two brothers played for 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 similarly not extended with the team.

Now at Lille and fresh from scoring his first goal for the club, Ethan is set to face PSG on Sunday, and will aim to make the headlines against the club where he began his professional journey.

Walking in Kylian Mbappe's Footsteps

Scoring dominate attention, so considering Ethan's position is in midfield he is unlikely to surpass his brother in that department.

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

His mentality was commended as he emerged from the PSG academy, seeming to cope well with the weight of expectation that came with the Mbappe surname.

"He is a well-rounded, polished kid who is respectful even if he is obviously in the shadow of his brother, which is challenging for him. But I find him calm and with a real personality. I find that he handles this expectation rather well."

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

"Ethan is a quite promising player who can play in multiple roles," PSG boss Luis Enrique said after that game. "I am sure he will play again. He has a famous last name, which is difficult to match."

In total, he completed five appearances for PSG before departing at the end of his contract last summer, although there was certain debate around his departure.

Kylian has previously implied that Ethan not getting a new contract at PSG was connected with his choice to depart and move to Real Madrid, and was prepared to instead stay at the Paris club if it meant his brother got a new deal there as well.

"It's the thing that affected me the most," Kylian said. "He [Ethan], didn't ask for anything. His dream club was PSG. What Real meant to me, his youthful aspiration, was PSG."

Forging His Own Career Path

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

"My aspiration of playing against my brother in the Champions League is far off, but it has not vanished," Ethan said on social media after he was ruled out of that match.

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

He has recently reached a important landmark by netting his initial strike for Lille recently - 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 subsequently fallen to sixth, Ethan continues to be involved in the senior squad, having made two additional league appearances.

With Lille competing in the Europa League this season, there will be no opportunity for Ethan to fulfill his dream of facing his brother in a official game at present, but that provides him the opportunity to concentrate on building a reputation for himself in his own capacity.