Jude Bellingham paid tribute to Real Madrid teammate Toni Kroos after his decision to retire this summer was announced and received a glowing endorsement from the legendary midfielder.
There had been hope Kroos would extend his stay at the Bernabeu but he recently confirmed he will step down from both club and country duty after Euro 2024.
The 34-year-old has lifted five Champions League trophies with Los Blancos since joining them from Bayern Munich in 2014, also claiming the La Liga title on four separate occasions.
He has made a large mark on Bellingham. The England international has enjoyed an astounding first campaign with Madrid, scoring 23 goals in all competitions to wrap up the Spanish championship and lead his side into the Champions League final, where they will take on his former club Borussia Dortmund.
He took to Instagram to praise the Germany international, writing: "One year was not enough. Thank you for everything you have given to the game, it's been an absolute pleasure to enjoy your football and personality as a fan and even more so as a teammate. Still some more work to do this season but wish you all the best for whatever is next for you and your family. LEGEND! 🐐8️⃣🤍"
Commenting underneath, Kroos responded: "Thanks my friend. More years together would have been unfair😂 Enjoyed every minute since you joined! You are more than ready to take over! At age 20..."
Kroos' importance under Carlo Ancelotti had been expected to wane this season due to the presence of younger midfielders Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Bellingham. However, he has still made 32 appearances in La Liga this season with 23 coming as starts, with fellow stalwart Luka Modric seeing his game time reduce more dramatically instead.
The Croatian, who could now extend his stay at the Bernabeu by another year, was among the Madrid stars to play tribute to the departing German.