Faubert has been drafted in by Madrid on loan from West Ham until the end of the season, and he joins Lassana Diarra, Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Dani Parejo as new additions to Juande Ramos' squad over the winter.

Madrid were linked to a number of wide players, including Jermaine Pennant, Aaron Lennon and Antonio Valencia, before ultimately opting for Faubert, who joined West Ham from Bordeaux in 2007 for £6.1million.

Faubert may not be a household name in the same bracket as some of Madrid's other signings down the years, but the 25-year-old Frenchman insists he has not moved to the Bernabeu just to make the numbers up.

"I would not have come if I didn't think I could contribute something. I think I can give a lot to the team," said Faubert, who admitted yesterday he thought someone was playing a prank on him when he heard of Madrid's interest.

"It's true that at the start I thought that it was a joke because there had been a lot of rumours.

"I think that my profile corresponds with what the coach was looking for, I can play wide right. I'm the sort of player the coach was looking for and for this I've signed for Real Madrid.

"For me, Real Madrid represents everything. They are the best club in the world, a great institution with a long history.

"Many great French players have played here and for that I'm very happy to be here," added Faubert, who becomes the 14th Frenchman to join Madrid, following in the footsteps of the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makelele, Nicolas Anelka and Raymond Kopa.

Faubert's progress in recent times has been hit by injury, with the midfielder suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon soon after his move to West Ham, a setback which left him on the sidelines for the first half of last season.

Faubert, who could turn his loan deal into a permanent move if he impresses over the next few months, insists he is fine now though, saying: "I had physical problems but I've overcome them.

"Now I'm at Real Madrid and I'm very happy and pleased to have signed for this club.

"It was over a year ago that I was injured. Now I feel very good physically. After the injury I've played 18 matches with West Ham, and I feel ready to play."