Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, who is widely considered among football's greatest midfielders ever, has insisted he is so happy to be able to say he has coached Toni Kroos.
The Germany star was a key player for Los Blancos prior to Zidane's arrival in the club's hot seat, and has only seen his importance grow in recent years.
Kroos played a massive role in the Spanish giants' three consecutive UEFA Champions League wins from 2016 to 2018, and is held in the highest regard by his French manager, who seemingly takes huge pride in coaching him.
"When I arrived, well, you can imagine, I was really happy to be his coach.
"It's true, when I retire, I will be able to say that I trained Cristiano (Ronaldo), (Gareth) Bale, (Luka) Modric, (Sergio) Ramos. But I will also say I coached Toni Kroos.
"It is impressive to see him train every day. How professional (he is). Talking about him is talking about someone extraordinary."
Zidane then went into more detail about what he feels are Kroos' key qualities, saying he is stunned by the 30-year-old's ability to use both feet with ease.
"He is so good that he could play as a six or even as a 10. You put him in and he adapts. His main virtue is his serenity, he's calm," he added.
"He's not nervous and loves reaching out to shoot from distance as much as making a back pass. The ease with which he plays with both feet is fascinating to me. You could come to think that he's a natural left-footed player.
"Toni is a very quiet and reserved boy. But when he speaks, he speaks to anyone: his coach, managers, teammates. He does not stop. I have seen many discussions in which his participation has ended up being key."
Kroos has played 167 times under Zidane, scoring 16 goals and assisting a further 43 strikes.
