Christian Fuchs has revealed that Raul is the only player to leave him starstruck, after the Real Madrid legend transferred to Schalke, and he still uses the striker as an example for Leicester City's younger stars.
Fuchs moved on a free transfer from Schalke to Leicester in 2015, where he is regarded as a legend after the 2016 underdog Premier League title win that stunned English football.
Brendan Rodgers has issued assurances to Fuchs that he will have a future at the club, despite his contract expiring at the end of the season, and he has utilised the veteran left-back plenty this term.
There is, however, a new generation of talent coming through at the King Power Stadium, a group which includes the likes of James Maddison, Wilfred Ndidi and Ben Chilwell. Fuchs says that he likes to show them videos of Raul, who left him stunned upon his arrival to Gelsenkirchen.
"I still show the players at Leicester videos of Raul from when I played with him," Fuchs told Goal. "He was unbelievable. He was not only a good footballer, he was a gentleman and he was one of the nicest players that I lined up with.
"It was simply a dream come true because he was one of the players, that when I was growing up, [I] used to watch as one of the biggest stars. Suddenly, you have the opportunity to play with him, to serve the ball to him to score.
"I think that was the first and last time I was starstruck in football. This person you admired for years before and now you are in the same changing room as him. Give me a break, how much better can it get? So, of course, that was my first impression.
"You chat, deal with it better as the days and weeks go on. He was definitely one of the best players that I have played with so I am proud, honoured and happy to have had this experience."
During his time at Schalke, Fuchs was in back-to-back Kicker teams of the season in 2011 and 2012 and he won a Super Cup during his time there too.
Kevin-Prince Boateng and Julian Draxler rank among the best Fuchs has played with but he remembers being excited by the talent of the now-Manchester City star Leroy Sane.
"In terms of skills, I would say there were two players that stood out and they were Julian Draxler and Leroy Sane," Fuchs added. "They were back then teenagers and when I left, I remember it as it was yesterday.
"The last words I said to Leroy Sane was to keep working hard and in one or two years you will be at a top club. That's literally what happened. He is still young and had injuries this season, but there is a lot more to come from him. With the quality he has, he will make his way."
Schalke were not able to compete for titles due to the dominance of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Bayern have won the last seven league titles after Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund won it back-to-back.
Fuchs says that Arjen Robben is the toughest player that he faced in Germany and, although he was predictable with his tendency to cut inside and shoot, he was almost impossible to stop.
"Well my most difficult opponent was Arjen Robben," Fuchs said. "He is horrible. He was the worst player to play against. The reason is everyone knows what he is doing but no one knows when he is doing it.
"The second he decides to get on his bike and cut inside, he is simply too quick over the first two or three yards and then you know what happens. He was definitely the most difficult to play against.
"The best opponent that I have faced in the Premier League so far was probably Eden Hazard. He was very good. This season it has been hard to pick a similar player because we have been dominant in many matches. However, this season the best player that I have faced is Riyad Mahrez."
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Fuchs retired from Austria's international team in 2016 after a disappointing European Championship. His home nation will once again play in the tournament although Euro 2020 has been delayed until 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
He firmly stands by his decision to walk away and says that he won't change his mind.
"I don't like it when players make a decision and go back on it right away," he concluded. "This is an example of that. I retired from the national team and then go back two weeks later. I couldn't identify myself with a mentality like that.
"Everyone who knows me knows that if I say something, I stick to it and I keep my promise. Me retiring is a promise that I made and I will stick to it."
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