Over the last year, Casemiro has established himself as the irreplaceable midfield anchor both at Real Madrid and at the Brazilian national team.

Apparently, Julen Lopetegui, a former coach of his at Porto, tried to lure the ex-Sao Paulo star into obtaining the Spanish nationality and hence playing for La Roja.

"In a conversation we had after I returned to Madrid, Lopetegui jokingly asked me if I'd like to become Spanish," Casemiro told Globoesporte. "But I'm very proud of being Brazilian."The 25-year-old welcomed the comparisons with retired defensive midfielder Claude Makelele, who played several seasons next to his current coach Zinedine Zidane.

"These similarities stem from the fact I play along [Toni] Kroos and [Luka] Modric, who are nearly as talented as Zidane.

"Aside from not losing my position in defence, Zidane always asks me to distribute the ball when attacking."

When asked about his feelings about being coached by the Frenchman, the Brazilian admitted he had to brush away some early nerves.

"At first it was tough because Zidane was my idol growing up.

"I shall respect him as a coach because he made history on the pitch," he concluded.