Kroos is starting to redeem himself amid criticism

Like most Real Madrid players last season, Toni Kroos received plenty of criticism for his below-par performances in a white shirt.

The German midfielder, who has been one of the club's shining lights in a golden era, made sure to acknowledge, read and listen to the critics.

"Stay and show that it was just a bad season," Kroos said when asked about his Real Madrid future in the summer, and that's exactly what he's doing.

With this hunger to prove them wrong, he has bounced back at the start of the current campaign, with his most telling contribution coming against Galatasaray on Tuesday.

Kroos' performances are on a different level from last season and it's said that he runs a lot more too.

What Los Blancos are really benefitting from is his precise play and unquestionable commitment - two aspects that persuaded them to sign him from Bayern Munich in 2014.

Kroos picked up just his third injury in the last five years against Granada, but the international break gave him time to recover.

With 15 goals and 61 assists to his name in a Real Madrid shirt, many say that Kroos has been Los Blancos' best buy in recent times.