The pressure to succeed at Real Madrid is greater than any other club in world football.

Raphael Varane has carried this expectation for nine years, after moving to the Santiago Bernabeu from Lens as a promising teenager in 2011.

The World Cup winner has played alongside some of the best players of this generation with France and Los Blancos, including arguably the most dedicated player in history: Cristiano Ronaldo.

Varane spent almost a decade training with the Portuguese forward before the latter departed for Juventus last summer - and there’s no doubt he left his mark on the centre-back.

Despite the difference in seniority between him and Ronaldo, Varane recalls standing up to the superstar when he neglected to call him by his first name during a session.

Speaking to French publication Onze Mondial, via Goal, the 26-year-old claims Ronaldo barked, ‘Varane, go into the middle’, to which he replied, ‘I’m not Varane, I’m Rapha!’.

It takes some guts to talk back to one of the all-time greats, though Varane insists his act of defiance was intended to show his character rather than impudence.

“It was not disrespectful,” the defender added.

“I am super nice, I am great, even in the dressing room. I am also quite shy.

“But when there are difficult times or when you have to show your character, you can count on me. The players who have known me for a while know this.

“Of course, it’s not the aspect of my character that you see the most or that you see first. It was not a matter of respect or disrespect, it was just a matter of, ‘If I'm not seen, I'm not considered much’.

“After that it was more like: ‘Oh, I am also here, I also have a name.’ It was more like that.”

Varane must have felt a foot taller after holding his own against Ronaldo, which exemplifies the influence of the Juventus man’s hardline attitude on those around him.

Unsurprisingly, Varane speaks of Ronaldo with the utmost admiration.

“He's great, great, on a human level - and on a footballing level, I don't even have words anymore,” Varane said.

“He's accomplished something extraordinary: he made his incredible achievements seem banal.

“And to do that…there are no words to explain it, it's huge, it's extraordinary. He taught me a lot and also surprised me. How many times have I said to myself: ‘Wow, this is incredible’”.

Given Ronaldo’s apparent knack for evoking confidence in his teammates, he might well be suited to a career in management or coaching once his playing days are over.

That said, it seems unlikely that the 34-year-old will be hanging up his boots anytime soon.