Toni Kroos may have hung up his boots, but the German remains a revered figure at Real Madrid, where he left an indelible mark during a glittering career.
Indeed, Kroos commands immense respect at Real Madrid and he was even linked with a potential return to the Bernabeu earlier in the summer, in a mentor role.
Nevertheless, Kroos was recently the subject of glowing praise from a familiar face. And the former midfielder was quick to show his appreciation.
Davide Ancelotti is a huge admirer of Kroos. (Photo by Wagner Meier/Getty Images)
In an interview with Diario AS , Davide Ancelotti, son of former Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, lavished praise on Kroos, describing him as the master of the game.
"He was the master of the game. He controlled the rhythm of the game, it was played the way he wanted. He was fundamental, and then he ran. Toni covered 11 kilometres per game, and he defended,"Davide said.
He went on to highlight Kroos's tactical versatility and intelligence.
"I loved him when he played as a defensive midfielder. Although he preferred to play as an attacking midfielder, that way he left the dirty work to the defensive midfielder, whoever it was, Camavinga or Casemiro,"he added.
Davide, who worked alongside his father at Real Madrid, also acknowledged just how difficult it has been to replace the German .
"For Real Madrid's dynamics, losing him has been very difficult,"he concluded.
Real Madrid have been feeling the absence of Kroos for a while now. (Photo by Patricia J. Garcinuno/Getty Images for Laureus)
The video quickly went viral, and they soon reached Kroos himself, who was clearly touched by the tribute.
The German took to his Instagram account hours after the interview was published, sharing Davide's words along with a heart emoji.
Kroos's departure has left a void in the Real Madrid midfield that the club are still striving to fill. The current struggles in that area, with the Valverde-Tchouameni pairing yet to convince, have only underlined just how influential the German was.
Meanwhile, Kroos has recently backed Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe for the Ballon d'Or, with the ceremony to take place later this month.
