Gareth Bale has been warned he faces a difficult first month adapting to life in the Real Madrid goldfish bowl.
The world's most expensive player trained with his new team-mates for the first time on Wednesday and is expected to make his debut at some point during Saturday night's Primera Division game at Villarreal.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the man whose £80m transfer fee was beaten by Bale's, greeted the Wales star with a warm handshake at Real's training ground on Wednesday.
But, according to Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, Bale is likely to learn that it takes time to find his place in the Bernabeu hierarchy.
Pique told Sky Sports: "You never know how he will adapt to a dressing-room like Madrid's with a lot of stars like Cristiano and (Karim) Benzema.
"I hope he can play well, but we will see. The first month will be more difficult, then it will be a bit more relaxed.
"Real Madrid is such an immense team - a big, big club. Everyone wants to know something about the players, about Bale too.
"When you're playing for a great team like Madrid, with a lot of pressure because you have to win every game, it's a difficult life."
Bale played his first competitive football of the season in Wales' defeat to Serbia on Tuesday, and his national team boss Chris Coleman says the £86m man is not ready for 90 minutes this weekend.
But the new Real number 11 will continue training with his new team-mates as the week goes on, and is likely to be on the flight to Villarreal at the weekend.
