Zinedine Zidane practically moved to the Premier League a few years in the past however was brutally rejected, it has emerged.
Zidane is without doubt one of the most gifted gamers in soccer historical past, successful the World Cup with France in 1998 and the Ballon d’Or in the identical 12 months.
However extremely, it has been revealed that ‘Zizou’ might have been plying his commerce in England two years prior – with an agent claiming he supplied Zidane’s companies when he was one thing of an unknown amount.
After enjoying for Manchester Metropolis and Crystal Palace, Barry Silkman grew to become an agent and labored with the likes of Jaap Stam, Micah Richards, Tomas Soucek and Yakubu.
However Zidane was additionally properly on his radar and claims to have turn into conscious of his talents when he was turning out for Bordeaux within the French prime flight.
Silkman claims to have personally advisable him to Newcastle United boss Kevin Keegan, who he had handled on various events.
Nonetheless, in response to Silkman, Keegan’s fundamental scout didn’t price Zidane too extremely and mentioned he wasn’t even ok for a low Championship aspect.
Zidane would go on to play in black and white stripes, although, signing for Serie A giants Juventus on the finish of the season after Newcastle handed on bringing him in for £1.2 million.
“I used to be alerted to the expertise of a 24-year-old attacking midfielder at Bordeaux and I went alongside to observe him,” Silkman wrote in his e book The Not-So Secret Soccer Agent’.
“His title was Zinedine Zidane, and it took me about 5 minutes to resolve that this man was going to be one thing very particular.
“I had introduced various good gamers to Newcastle United beneath Kevin Keegan’s reign and each considered one of them was a hit, so Zidane felt like the right match for a Keegan group.
“It was 7 January, 1996, and I instructed Kevin he might signal Zidane for £1.2million – it was a steal.
“I begged Kevin to signal him, however ultimately he instructed me his chief scout thought he wasn’t ok and years later, Kevin instructed me he ought to have listened to me as an alternative of his scout.”
He added: “Zidane finally signed for Juventus and the remaining is historical past.
“I want I’d stored the fax that was despatched to me from Newcastle United the place the chief scout acknowledged, ‘Silky has grossly overrated the participant. At finest he’s ok for Wolves, who’re backside of the Championship at current’.
“I feel Zidane was barely higher than the gamers in struggling Wolves group!”
Zinedine Zidane signed for Juventus in 1996. Picture: Getty
On the time, Newcastle have been sitting fairly on the prime of the Premier League desk – solely to lose the crown to Manchester United regardless of being 12 factors clear at one stage of the run-in.
Zidane later grew to become a Galactico with Actual Madrid in 2001 in a world-record £46 million swap, happening to win the Champions League 4 occasions as each a participant and supervisor,
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Publish date : 2025-01-21 08:02:00
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Publish date : 2025-01-22 12:41:11
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