Toni Kroos keen to end his playing days at Real Madrid

The 31-year-old German midfielder, who joined the Spanish giants from Bayern Munich in 2014, says it has always been his plan to retire at Real Madrid.

Toni Kroos says it has always been his intention to end his playing days in the Spanish capital with Real Madrid. Kroos has enjoyed great success since joining Los Blancos from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014, winning three Champions League trophies and two LaLiga titles among the 13 honours he has picked up.

Kroos, seven years at Real Madrid

The 31-year-old midfielder has made 309 appearances for Madrid across all competitions – the most by a German player at the Santiago Bernabéu, surpassing Uli Stielike. Reflecting on the feat, Kroos, who has scored 21 goals since moving to the Spanish capital, told Real Madrid TV: "It's something special. When you look at the Germans who have played here you realise that they are big names: [Gunter] Netzer, [Bernd] Schuster or Stielike. Overtaking Stielike, who is a club legend, makes me really happy. It's a special record and I'm delighted to get to this point. As I've always said, my idea is to retire here and that's what I'm going to try to do."

Kroos has scored two goals and supplied six assists in 22 LaLiga appearances this season, while he has made 31 appearances across all competitions. Madrid are third in LaLiga, five points adrift of neighbours and leaders Atlético Madrid ahead of Sunday's derby.

"I try to give my best in every game and every pass I make that doesn't reach my team-mate annoys me," Kroos added. "I try to strive for perfection in this sense, although you can never be perfect. I practice it and I've been working on it continuously for many years."

Zidane's record at the Wanda Metropolitano

Zidane's Madrid have yet to lose a league games at the Wanda Metropolitano, where they have won one and drawn two; and remain the only LaLiga side to remain unbeaten at Atleti's new stadium. Zidane could become the second Madrid boss to avoid defeat in his first four away derbies versus Atleti in the history of the competition, after Luis Molowny in 1986 (W3 D1).