Why Marcelo should be looked at in same light as Roberto Carlos

Marcelo was rewarded with a contract extension on Wednesday that will keep him at Real Madrid until the age of 34, the same age Roberto Carlos was when Marcelo first stepped into the locker room. Now, he has an opportunity to cement his name as equal to that of his predecessor.

It isn't hard to count Marcelo among the finest full-backs in the modern game, but finding a replacement for the tiring Roberto Carlos must have been a daunting task for Real Madrid back in 2007.

The club scoured the globe and fittingly found an option in Brazil. Then-president Ramon Calderon called Marcelo "one of the jewels of world soccer," but at $8.7 million, he wasn't priced like his star teammates.

At only 18, he walked into a locker room full of icons, met the man he idolized, and was tasked with stepping into his shoes. There was no resentment, though, and Roberto Carlos took Marcelo under his wing.

"You need anything - anything - you call me," Marcelo recalled Roberto Carlos telling him in The Players' Tribune.

Indeed, many of Roberto Carlos' best traits can be seen in the modern Marcelo, and the student-teacher nature of their early days may have set the foundation for the then-teenager's rise. But Marcelo and Roberto Carlos shared a locker room for no more than a season before he was left to his own devices.

As such, Marcelo credits his growth more to Fabio Cannavaro.

More than 400 appearances and 28 goals later, he has become a consistent figure behind Cristiano Ronaldo on Madrid's left side. For Brazil, he has given an equal level of commitment. A World Cup winner's medal eludes him, which adds to Roberto Carlos' legend more than anything. But it is not a factor in distinguishing the two.

Is it fair to compare Marcelo and Roberto Carlos? The two are alike in their contribution, but not in their execution. Roberto Carlos has 48 goals to his name at Real Madrid, but most came from set pieces. Marcelo more frequently scores or assists in open play.

The biggest difference might be in perception. Roberto Carlos was an early member of the star-studded Galacticos. Though jovial at times, he was usually serious and furrow-browed as he barked out orders. Marcelo's "happy as a motherf-----" mantra, fluffy hair, and boyish looks make him seem like the same young upstart that came to Madrid looking to prove himself.

That Madrid didn't skip a beat in left-back production is due entirely to Marcelo's skill. It's easy to forget how uncommon that kind of swap can be, but making it happen with only a year of overlap? Absurd.

Marcelo is no longer the kid tasked with replacing Roberto Carlos. A decade later, it is his shadow that looms over the next generation. His are the shoes that 19-year-old Theo Hernandez must work to one day fill. By the time Marcelo steps away from Real Madrid, he will be regarded in the same vein as his predecessor. After more than a decade of elite performances, it would certainly be well deserved.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)