Madonna has revealed she was “madly in love” with Michael Jackson when he was a child star in the Jackson 5.

The singer, who later developed a close bond with the King of Pop, said she was immediately impressed by his talent.

“I was madly in love with him, totally smitten. He was mind-bogglingly talented,” she told Rolling Stone magazine.

“The songs he sang were not childlike at all.”

Jackson and Madonna, who were both born in August 1958, were eventually introduced in the early 80s by her then manager Freddy DeMann.

The singer described their introduction at a party in New York as “a thrill”, despite Jackson's shyness.

When asked if she was jealous of the later singer, Madonna replied: “In a good way. I'd wished I'd written 'Billie Jean' and 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin''. What song didn't I love?”

Madonna, who is currently promoting her latest greatest hits album 'Celebration', paid tribute to Jackson at the MTV Video Music Awards last month.

She described the late singer as “one of the greatest talents the world has ever known”.

Jackson died on June 25 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 50.

(by Jason Gregory)