Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema says he's improved as a player thanks to coach Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho has refused to treat Benzema with kid gloves - and the Frenchman has benefited from the hardline approach.

Benzema told L'Equipe: "Mourinho talks to me like a father speaks to his son.

"In one of the first training sessions he approached me and said in French: 'How are you?' and then said: 'I hope to leave behind the Benzema of last year'.

"I noticed that he had affection for me. When he came to Madrid I had a bad back, I had put on some weight and was disappointed at not going to the World Cup.

"He told me I must try harder in training. That work has finally paid off."

Benzema admitted he had found the move from Lyon difficult at first and struggled with the expectation.

"When I left Lyon three years ago I was a very young boy and very shy," he said.

"I arrived alone, it was the first time I left my home and Lyon. I had to adapt to a new city and a new team.

"I also had a lot of pressure because I was considered a star and had to prove it now.

"Today I am a player and a more mature person. I am calmer, more serene and physically stronger. I have learned to better control the pressure in big games, I mean 'El Clasico', and Champions League games."