Ex-Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman has admitted that he was surprised to see his former teammate Zinedine Zidane take the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The legendary Frenchman was promoted to the club's first-team coach in early January following the dismissal of Rafael Benitez, who lasted just six months in charge.

McManaman, who played with Zidane for two years in the Spanish capital, revealed that he felt the 43-year-old did not have a personality suited to management due to his reserved nature.

"I didn't think in the dressing room 'he'd be a manager'," he told The Express. "When he arrived he didn't speak Spanish and he was very quiet. He was an incredible footballer but he normally spoke French and only French.

"You wouldn't think he would be Madrid manager because he wasn't at all vocal in the dressing room. You'd think someone like Fernando Hierro could be a manager because he was a leader and he was Spanish. In some ways Hierro was our manager.

"Vicente del Bosque of course was actually our manager but he was quite quiet. Hierro did the team-talks and f-ed and blinded and shouted 'come on'. Whereas Zizou was quiet, reserved and very professional. He came, trained and went home."

Zidane's side sit third and 12 points behind reigning Liga champions Barcelona, and seven adrift of local rivals Atletico Madrid in second.