When asked to name the contemporary football player who most resembles Zinedine Zidane, Manchester United legend Paul Scholes did not take any time in making his selection.
When Scholes announced his first retirement, it was five years after Zidane had declared his retirement from professional football in 2006. Scholes played during a period that was largely comparable to that of Zidane.
Scholes was once described by Zidane as his most difficult opponent in the history of the game. This was due to the fact that the Frenchman faced off against his midfield rival in Champions League matches.
In addition to being widely regarded as two of the best midfielders of their generation, both of these players established themselves as prolific goal scorers throughout their respective careers.
The experiences that Scholes has had, which include winning 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies, may make him the ideal person to judge which midfielder from the current era is the most similar to Zidane.
The legendary player from France, who was awarded the Ballon d’Or in 1998, was renowned for his ability to control games in the middle of the pitch and in addition to scoring goals on a consistent basis.
During Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League final in 2002, he won the tournament with a volley on his weaker left foot from 18 yards out. This was his most famous strike.
Scholes, in an interview with The Guardian in August 2024, identified Manchester United wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo as the player who, in his opinion, most closely resembles Zidane in the modern era.
Although he began his career with United as a striker in the youth team, Mainoo has established himself as a prominent player for the club, playing primarily in the defensive midfield position. This is similar to how Scholes began his career.
Amorim gave the 20-year-old a brief opportunity to play the role in a home loss to Crystal Palace by a score of 2-0; however, the experiment was immediately terminated due to the fact that the player sustained an injury in the very next match, which was against Leicester.
On the other hand, Scholes believes that his full potential lies in the middle of the pitch.
He made the following statement: “He is the closest thing I’ve seen to Zidane in terms of taking a ball, receiving the ball, and cruising past people.”
It was brought to my attention that there was a young man who was able to compete with Casemiro in training and even outperform him at times. You are required to go out and carry it out.
When I first laid eyes on him, I was struck by his presence of peace. It was hard for me to believe that such a young player could be able to do that, especially considering the way he confidently received the ball.
“That calmness didn’t come for me as quick as it did for Kobbie,” he continued to explain. It was probably five or six years into my career when it happened. For this reason, it blows my mind.
It’s so easy for him to play the game because he’s so relaxed. To put it another way, it’s almost like poetry.
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