Federico Valverde opens up on inheriting Kroos’ No. 8 shirt at Real Madrid | OneFootball

In a recent interaction with The Residency, Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde spoke candidly about taking over the mantle of the No. 8 jersey from Toni Kroos next season.

The Real Madrid midfielder also laid out the reason as to why he doesn’t shoot as much anymore. He was also asked about potentially going back to white hair.

Federico Valverde on Kroos

Shortly after Toni Kroos announced his retirement from professional football, it was widely reported that Federico Valverde would be his successor in the number eight position.

It wasn’t long until the player himself confirmed that he would take over the prestigious jersey next season.

When asked about Kroos giving him the responsibility, Valverde said, “I still can’t believe everything that’s happened. I didn’t have time to assimilate. To enjoy, football is something fast and you should already be thinking about the next competition.”

“But what I experienced the day he said he wanted to give me his shirt will be a memory forever in my heart,” he added.

Federico Valverde will wear Kroos’ number eight jersey next season (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Although Valverde will not be a like-for-like replacement for Toni Kroos, we can expect the Uruguayan international to play a more crucial role in central midfield next season.

In fact, Valverde stressed his deeper impact on the team’s build-up play and why he prioritises passes over shots now.

“I think I had another role this last time, and if I see a closer possibility than me to shoot the goal from afar, I always bet on the team. For me, it’s more valuable to find the right pass and not be selfish. We all help the team in that regard,” he said.

Finally, the Real Madrid star went on to confirm that he will soon dye his hair white.

“I will, after the Copa America. I didn’t have time to dye myself, as soon as we finished the Champions League we were already focusing on Miami,” he said.

The midfielder also welcomed the signing of Kylian Mbappe, saying: “It’s going to be insane. We have the best team in the world.”

Valverde also opened up on how he interacts with midfield partner Jude Bellingham given the language barrier, saying: “I am still not sure how me and Jude talk, but we understand each other. Sometimes we use Brahim as our translator (laughs).”

In the meantime, Fede Valverde will focus on the upcoming Copa America, with the Real Madrid midfielder likely to play a crucial role for a Uruguay team looking to secure the coveted tournament for the first time since 2011.