After six years with AC Milan, the 27-year-old has joined Real Madrid in what is set to herald the second coming of the 'galacticos'.

Returning Madrid president Florentino Perez has vowed to recreate the policy of signing the world's best in his second spell in charge - he brought the likes of Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and David Beckham to the Bernabeu in his first term - and snaring the Brazil playmaker is another statement of intent.

Cristiano Ronaldo is due to follow Kaka and be presented before the Madrid fans in the next week following his £80million move from Manchester United.

Kaka, the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year, will bring his mix of pace, skill and clinical finishing to the Spanish capital to help the club bridge the gap to arch-rivals Barcelona, who last season claimed an unprecedented treble of the domestic league and cup double as well as the Champions League.

Madrid were lacking in several areas last season with doggedness and determination just two.

In Kaka, they will be getting those qualities in spades, as shown by his will to return from a career-threatening back injury in a swimming-pool accident aged 18.

He went on to make a full recovery and made his full international debut under Luiz Felipe Scolari in January 2002.

As a 20-year-old he was part of the triumphant World Cup squad but played only 19 minutes in the Far East.

In June 2003, Kaka made the switch to Europe when he was snapped up by AC Milan for 8.5 million euros, and went on to help the Rossoneri win the Serie A title in his first season.

2007 was his finest year, however, with the FIFA World Player of the Year accolade the icing on the cake after Kaka firmly established himself as the finest footballer in Europe - a tag ratified when he was also crowned European player of the year.

Kaka not only came away with a Champions League winners' medal, but seemed to make it a personal quest to bring the famous trophy back to the San Siro, proving the Rossoneri's match-winner time and again.

He almost single-handedly secured the Champions League trophy for Milan, scoring 10 times to finish as the competition's leading marksman.

He bagged a solo extra-time winner against Celtic in the first knockout stage and scored three times in the semi-final against Manchester United.

Milan had started that Serie A campaign with an eight-point deduction for their part in the Italian match-fixing scandal so the Scudetto was never a realistic prospect. They ended up in fourth place.

Kaka's inspirational displays in Europe, though, ensured the Rossoneri did not have to come to terms with a third successive season without silverware.

The Italian giants endured a miserable start to the 2007/08 domestic season but they did shine on a bigger stage, claiming the FIFA Club World Cup with Kaka scoring in the 4-2 win over Boca Juniors in the final as well as winning the Player of the Tournament award.

Kaka was not just the creative hub of the team, the player who could produce a moment of genius to turn a game, but also the chief goalscorer, motivator and talisman.

He was the first person the Milan team looked to for inspiration when things were not going to plan, when they needed someone to dig them out of a hole.

Even in a team packed with star names and proven quality like Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo, Filippo Inzaghi and Gennaro Gattuso, it was the Brazilian who has assumed the mantle of responsibility.

It is exactly that kind of leadership which he will be expected to show at the Bernabeu as Perez's 'galacticos' mark II look to shine.