Jude Bellingham also insisted his move to Real Madrid had nothing to do with money as he explained how his transfer was completed so quickly.
“Money is not my thing,” he said.
“I don’t think about money at all when I make such decisions. I never have and I never will. I play the game purely for love.
“I spoke to people from Real Madrid when I got permission from Borussia Dortmund and I like the feeling I got from the club. I couldn’t hide it. I told them straight away how I felt and once it happened on Monday, everything happened quickly.”
He also spoke about how he was given the number 5 shirt, which was worn by defender Jesus Vallejo last season, and what it means to him to wear Zidane’s old number on his back.
“To begin with, I would like to thank Jesus Vallejo for allowing me to wear the number 5,” he explained.
“I contacted him to see if he was OK with it and he was just a brilliant guy, he let me wear it and he was so nice about it, so I’m very grateful.
“I’ve said in many interviews how much I admire Zidane, the legacy he has at the club and the legacy of his number.
“I’m not trying to be the same as him, I’m just trying to be Jude, but it’s definitely a bit of a tribute to how great he was.
“As for 22, it’s a number that means a lot to me and in my heart I’m still 22, I just wear the number 5 on my back.
“We’ll see what happens in the future, but right now I’m really happy to have the honor of wearing this number.”