Not many players have been blessed with the talent Michael Laudrup had and here, retrofootballblog.com reveals just how far his fame stretched with this brilliant anecdote...

In 1996, Laudrup was thinking about calling time on an impressive career. His incredible ability had taken him from Brondby in his native Denmark, to Italy with Lazio and Juventus before stints at Barcelona and Real Madrid. It is rare for a player to be loved in equal measure by both Barca and Real supporters, but Laudrup is. He was a master with the ball at his feet.

And it was in the Spanish capital where he was pondering his future over some posh grub in a fancy restaurant. Laudrup was discussing leaving Spain when King Juan Carlos I appeared at his shoulder. He had been sitting a few tables away and overheard the conversation, prompting him to walk over to the Real Madrid star. “That’s good news,” he whispered in the player's ear. “I’ll be the only King in Madrid again.”