Zizou: Becks More Than Window Dressing

14 February 2013

Zinedine Zidane has had great respect for David Beckham since the pair starred alongside one another in Real Madrid’s midfield.

And the French icon has given his backing to his British counterpart’s headline grabbing transfer to Paris Saint Germain.

While Zizou accepts that veteran Becks has not been signed to play every minute of every game during his loan spell at the Parc des Princes, he says the former England captain will add great value to the ambitious club just by being there at all.

World Cup winner Zidane insists that Beckham will serve as a role model for his fellow professionals behind the scenes, and is also still good enough to make a contribution on the field.

"He's going to surprise you. It's a good thing," Zidane said of poster boy Becks.

"He arrives three-quarters of an hour before training and leaves half an hour after everyone else. He's a truly great professional. He's going to show certain people what 'professionalism' means, and that can't hurt certain people today."

"He's not there to play 90 minutes every game," Zidane continued.

"He's there to bring his touch, and that he can do in 20 minutes or half an hour. He has a way of taking free-kicks, a way of striking the ball that is different to others for cross-field balls of 30, 40 metres. I was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of some of his cross-field passes.

“He's a guy who loves playing - at 37 he's still there, and he's not doing it for any reason other than the fact it's his passion."