Marco Verratti insists Zlatan Ibrahimovic enjoys a glowing reputation within the Paris Saint-Germain dressing room, defining him the "leader" of the Ligue 1 club.
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The Italian midfielder has just committed his future to the Parisians, signing a new contract until 2019 which makes him one of their biggest earners.
One of the reasons behind his decision to extend his stay in the French capital is the positive climate at the club, which he claims has improved significantly in recent years, thanks also to Ibrahimovic.
"Whenever he talks, everybody listens to him," Verratti told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport. "He never says anything unintelligent. Yes, he's the leader."
Had Ibrahimovic raised his voice a few years ago, he would not have found such an acquiescent audience, however. "In the first year, we did have some problems in the dressing room," Verratti said. "The French saw lots of foreigners arriving and they didn't take it very well.
"In the last two years, though, there's no longer any question -- we even celebrate birthdays all together."
Verratti, 21, says he has also changed in recent years, and he has promised to alter even more in years to come. "I want to change," he said. "Some of the yellow cards I get are for tactical fouls, which is fair enough, but I don't like the others -- the ones for protesting. I've promised that I won't get such a yellow card all season."
That will be music to the ears of Italy coach Antonio Conte, who sees Verratti at the centre of his project for Euro 2016 and demands discipline from all his players. With Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo rivalling Verratti for a place in the Italy team, he knows he must toe the line to get a chance.
"I know that when it comes to the national team, only one of us is going to play," he said. "Not one of us three can play in the wider role like Conte wants because he needs a player there who does more running. It would be like playing one of us as a full-back. I'd put all my heart into it, but..."
It is not something Conte has asked of him either with the Italy coach aware of what he wants, and how to get it. Although Verratti has spent only nine days under the former Juventus coach's tutelage, he admits he learned a lot while on international duty earlier this month.
"Training under Conte is strange -- there's a lot of tactical work," said the former Pescara midfielder. "In that respect, though, he is one of the best coaches I have ever had."