Jupp Heynckes believes compatriot Toni Kroos was always destined to become a star at Real Madrid.
The 69-year-old has seen midfielder Kroos make a brilliant start to the 2014-15 campaign and he is a player Heynckes knows well, having had the German international under his orders at both Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen.
“Kroos is a wonderful player and his destiny was to play in Madrid. He has taken on a leadership role and that’s a big accomplishment.
“Only the greats can play where he is playing,” Heynckes told AS.
Heynckes was in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu for the 1997-98 season and delivered the club a seventh European Cup, although he saw his tenure terminated at the end of the campaign after finishing fourth in domestic competition, 11 points behind champions Barcelona.