The all-time Premier League XI of football legend Zinedine Zidane contains an insane amount of talent.
One of the greatest midfielders of all time, Zidane plied his trade in France before becoming an icon at both Juventus and Real Madrid. He has also racked up a series of accolades in his already impressive managerial career.
Zidane’s playing career
The Frenchman began his senior career in 1989, in Cannes, before moving to Bordeaux in 1992. Following four impressive years with Bordeaux, Zidane moved to Juventus in 1996.
Turin is where the midfielder really made an impact on the global stage. In his debut season, Zidane won the Serie A title and the Intercontinental Cup.
He reached two Champions League finals with the Italian giants and was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998.
In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid for a then-world record fee of €77.5 million. This is where he rose into superstardom.
The midfielder’s volley against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 is still regarded as one of, if not the greatest Champions League goal of all time. And it won the trophy for Los Blancos, too.
During his time at Real, Zidane sparkled for France, contributing heavily to their World Cup win in 1998, and then their Euros win just two years later. He is truly an icon of the game.
Zidane’s managerial career
In 2016, Zidane was appointed manager of Real Madrid, having previously managed Real Madrid Castilla, their B team.
The Frenchman enjoyed instant success, winning the 2016 Champions League. Los Blancos then followed that up with a 2017 retention of the trophy – the first team to do so in the Champions League era. Zidane was also named Best FIFA Men’s Coach in 2017.
In 2018, Real Madrid defended the Champions League for the third time, the first team to ever win three consecutive European Cups.
Zinedine Zidane chooses his all-time PL XI
In a 2016 interview, Zidane chose the customary 11 players to make up his Premier League squad. As expected, heavyweights such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira made the cut.
Zidane opted for six Manchester United players. Jaap Stam and Rio Ferdinand form a brick wall at centre-back, whilst Liverpool‘s Steven Gerrard got the nod on the right of midfield.
In a 4-4-2 formation, Henry and Ronaldo partnered each other up front.
Zidane’s all-time Premier League XI
Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel (Manchester United)
Defenders: Gary Neville (Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Jaap Stam (Manchester United), Ashley Cole (Arsenal/Chelsea)
Midfielders: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Claude Makelele (Chelsea), Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
Featured Image Credit: Getty
