A few days ago, Toni Kroos, now 35 years old, was awarded the Order of Merit by the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. During his acceptance speech, he couldn’t leave out a mention of Real Madrid—though this time, it came with a surprising confession.

Kroos: "I was never a Real Madrid fan"

The German midfielder used the moment to clear up a long-standing rumor. Despite an old photo of him wearing a Real Madrid away jersey that went viral when he signed for the club, Kroos revealed he was never actually a fan of the Spanish giants.

"For some reason, I had a Luis Figo shirt from Real Madrid. I didn't realize how much it would help me. I had never been a Real Madrid supporter. But then the photo surfaced on social media. Of course, all the Madrid fans were saying: 'He's a lifelong fan, he’s had the jersey since he was seven.' None of that is true, but the photo helped,” admitted Kroos, who has always stated that he supported Werder Bremen growing up.

From not being a fan to becoming a club legend

Although Toni Kroos never supported Real Madrid as a child, he eventually became one of the club’s greatest legends. A product of Bayern Munich's academy, he had a loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen before returning to Munich as a star. In 2014, with contract renewal talks stalled, he made the move to Real Madrid a transfer that, ironically, was partly helped by that old photo.

Wearing the white shirt, he played 465 matches, winning five Champions League titles, four La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, four UEFA Super Cups, and five Club World Cups, among many other honors.

Undoubtedly, a Real Madrid legend a player whose beginnings at the club were anything but promising, yet who grew to become a pillar of the team. His departure has left a noticeable void at the Santiago Bernabéu.