New Real Madrid left-back Theo Hernandez pronounced himself delighted with a "great" debut for his dramatic intervention in Sunday afternoon's International Champions Cup clash with Manchester United -- which the Premier League club won 2-1 in a penalty shootout.
A gently-paced encounter in the mid-afternoon heat at Levi's Stadium finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Jesse Lingard putting United ahead just before the break after some magic from Anthony Martial, and Casemiro equalising from the spot after half-time substitute Theo won a penalty midway through the second period with a typical charge into the area.
The former Atletico Madrid player later sent his penalty wide in a shootout which featured some erratic finishing from both sides, with senior internationals Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Daley Blind holding their nerve to convert for United.
Speaking in the mixed zone after the match, the €30 million summer signing said he was delighted to be at Madrid but knew he had a lot of learning to do now.
"I am very happy to have played my first game for Madrid, and to have won the penalty which got us the draw," Theo said. "I played a great game. Now I must keep working hard and improving.
"The players have received me really well, I am very happy to be here with them. This is the best club in the world and everyone can see that."
Theo came on at half-time to replace club vice-captain Marcelo, a fixture at left-back for coach Zinedine Zidane through recent seasons.
"[Marcelo] means a lot," Theo said. "I have come here to learn and keep improving. In front of me is a great player. What I must do is learn from him, and let him help me."
Casemiro was Blancos' captain in the second half, leading a team including seven little-known youth teamers. The Brazil international, 25, said he was proud of the honour, and leaving happy despite his own miss in the shootout proving decisive.
"I am very happy, very proud to be Madrid captain, for me it is an honour," Casemiro said. "You can see we have a very good youth system, players who want to make the most of their opportunities. Not just the kids -- those who played the first half did well too. The feelings are very good ahead of the two Super Cups."
Wales international Gareth Bale was one of the senior stars who played the first 45 minutes, and said his team's first outing of the summer had really been about "getting the cobwebs out."
"Obviously it was the first game of preseason," Bale said. "For us it is just about getting the cobwebs out and getting started on getting game time into us. Obviously we would have loved to win but that is the way it goes."
The former Tottenham player declined to respond to recent comments from United manager Jose Mourinho, who suggested in the build-up to Sunday's game that United had known they had no chance of prising him away from the Bernabeu outfit this summer.
Asked how he remained motivated to win more at Madrid, with two Champions Leagues already in his first three seasons at the club, Bale said he remained just as focused on success as before.
"We are just playing football like we would anywhere," he said. "We just want to try and enjoy playing football. When you do that, you usually get good results.
"We go into every competition looking to win it. It is no different again this year. We also have the motivation to do that and we will be trying our hardest to do well in every competition we enter."