Zidane worthy recipient of award

LOVERS of sport will not seriously find fault with the selection of Zinedine Zidane as FIFA World Player of the Year.

The French midfielder is the epitome of sportsmanship and a superb technician. His grace and style under pressure mark him out as a brilliant talent and anyone who saw the televised Real Madrid - Deportivo match on Sunday saw evidence of that.

If I was asked to choose, however, I would have opted for another Frenchman, Thierry Henry of Arsenal, as the top man. He finished runner-up in the poll. Henry edged out the Brazilian Ronaldo for second place in a contest decided by the coaches of the national teams affiliated to FIFA.