New Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic said he is excited about playing under Rafa Benitez, telling his club's TV channel: "It's an honour to work under one of the best managers in the world."
Madrid have spent €30 million to sign Croatia international Kovacic from Benitez's former club Inter Milan.
The midfielder said he was looking forward to playing under the former Valencia, Liverpool and Chelsea boss, having been impressed when he came up against Benitez's Napoli in Serie A.
"[Benitez] is a great coach," he said. "He has won loads of trophies and for me it's an honour to work under one of the best managers in the world.
"I've played against his teams a number of times and he deserves to be at the helm of a team like Real Madrid."
The playmaker, who moved to Inter for €11m in January 2013, said he had matured significantly during his time in Italy.
"I learned a lot and not just about football," he said. "I matured a lot. Two-and-a-half years have gone by and I'm grateful to everyone at Inter Milan. I had a marvellous time there. A new challenge has now presented itself at Real Madrid and I'm fully focused on my new team."
On his move to Madrid, he added: "It's a dream for me and for any footballer.
"It has come true for me at just 21 years of age. I'd like to thank everyone at the club for the support they've shown. I'm living a dream. My whole family and I are delighted to be here and I hope to stay for a long time to come.
"First of all I want to adapt to the team and learn as much as I can from my teammates. Real Madrid are a club used to winning trophies and I want to lift as many as possible."
Kovacic also said the support of compatriot Luka Modric will help him settle quickly at the club.
He first got to know his new Blancos teammate as a youngster at Dinamo Zagreb, when Modric, 29, was already in the first team for the Croatian club.
They are already now colleagues in the full international side, with Kovacic having already won 21 senior caps, and the pair featured in the same midfield in each of their country's games at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
"Having the support of a player like Luka Modric is really important for me," he said. "He has been here for two or three years now and I'm sure that he'll be able to teach me a lot. I hope that we can play together for many years."
Benitez has already said he sees the new player as ideal backup for Modric, while Casemiro -- who returned from loan at Porto earlier this summer in a complex deal reported to have cost Real around €7.5m -- is set to provide an alternative to Toni Kroos.
That is likely to mean Lucas Silva, signed in January for €14m following a concerted campaign in the local press, and Asier Illarramendi, who arrived for €38m from Real Sociedad two years ago, are now surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu.
Silva's situation is complicated by the fact he does not have an EU passport, and he has not been handed a squad number for the 2015-16 season, with Kovacic taking his No. 16 shirt.
According to Marca, 10 different clubs -- including Malaga, Getafe, Fiorentina, Southampton, Hamburg, Porto and Sporting Lisbon -- have made enquiries about the 22-year-old's availability.
Marca also reported that Juventus, Liverpool and Real Sociedad are interested in signing Illarramendi, 25, but his salary may be an issue.