Bayern Munich defender Lucas Hernandez has opened up about the "complicated" childhood he had with his brother, Theo, after their father left his family.
Lucas, 23, and Theo, 21, have not heard from their father, former Atletico Madrid and Marseille centre-back Jean-Francois Hernandez, since their parents split up over 16 years ago.
Although the pair have followed in his footsteps by becoming professional footballers and spent time at Atletico, the World Cup winners have not tried to track him down.
Lucas admits that growing up without a dad was not easy but believes they were better off without him because he did not love them.
"I never tried [to contact him]. Of course, when I was young, I thought about where he could be and would have liked to know more about it," Hernandez said in an interview with Goal and DAZN.
"However, the more time has passed, the less that was part of my thoughts. I thought more about myself and my life when I grew up.
"It finally became clear to me that he left because he did not love us. And if he did not love us, then it was better that he left.
"I am 23 years old now and I was five or six years old [when he left]. It would now have been about 16 or 17 years since we have heard nothing more from him."
He added: "I don't know where he is, what he does, whether he is still alive or not. Meanwhile I have started my own little family. Since he has not contacted us so far, he will not be interested - or he simply does not feel like joining us."
But Lucas counts himself lucky as he says his mother managed to fill both parental roles and did a fine job raising the two boys.
"My mother, brother and I soon became a sworn trio after the split," he added. "Theo and I always had a football with us - morning, noon and night. We played together all the time. My brother is my best friend, we are very close.
“We never understood why he left. So we just grew up with our mother. She lived, worked and gave everything to us. We did not miss anything.
“Now Theo and I have become professional footballers, so she can sit back and enjoy her life a bit.
“She told us what happened: that they broke up. One day my father was suddenly gone, we never heard from him again.
“Of course that was a bit complicated without a father at our side. But my mother has been very successful in fulfilling both mother and father roles.
"My brother and I had a complicated, but beautiful childhood.”
Hernandez continued: "My grandfather and my grandmother supported us financially so that we could live in a house and go to school.
"That's why I say that my grandfather is like my dad and my grandmother like my second mother. They have made the most of our economic efforts and helped us a lot with everything."
The France international left Atletico for Bayern Munich in an €80 million (£70m/$87m) move in July and has quickly become a regular starter under Niko Kovac.
Hernandez says that he is proud to be a club record signing for the Bundesliga giants and is determined to show he is worth it.
"After all that I experienced with my mother and brother when I was little, it makes me proud that a club pays such a large sum for me," he said.
"It's not only pride, but also a responsibility. The transfer fees have recently become increasingly exaggerated. You pay incredible sums.
"Because of all the confidence the club has put in me with this fee, it is up to me to repay it on the field and give my all. The club should also be proud of having spent this money on me someday."
