'He made me feel relaxed and special' - Ronaldo fondly thanks to Zidane

"You need to feel like you're an important part of the group, and Zidane made me feel special," Cristiano Ronaldo has told an interview with DAZN.

Cristiano Ronaldo has discussed his relationship with Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane, who he played under for two and a half seasons at the Santiago Bernabéu and, says the Portugal striker, made him feel "special".

"The confidence that a player needs doesn't only come from the player himself, but also the people around him, the other players, the coach," Cristiano told an interview with the broadcaster DAZN. 

"You need to feel like you're an important part of the group, and Zidane made me feel special."

The 34-year-old, who left Madrid for Serie A champions Juventus in a 117m-euro move last summer, added: "He helped me a lot. I already had a lot of respect for him, but working with him made me admire him all the more, because of what he's like as a person, how he talks, how he led the team and how he treated me.

"He'd say to me: 'Cris, relax, go out and play your game - you're the one who's going to make the difference.' 

He was always honest, and that's why I'll always have real affection for him."