Zidane is world's best - Keane

Roy Keane has hailed Zinedine Zidane as the world’s number one player ahead of Manchester United’s Champions League showdown with Real Madrid in the Bernabeu Stadium tonight.

The 31-year-old Corkman will lead United into the first leg of their quarter-final clash with the nine-times winners admitting he faces a difficult task trying to subdue the flamboyant Frenchman, who won last year’s final with his sensational volley against Bayer Leverkusen at Hampden Park.

However, it was a challenge he confronted successfully when United memorably dumped Juventus out of the tournament at the semi-final stage four years ago and a similar outcome will be required this evening if Keane and his team are to stand any chance of eliminating the Spanish giants, who remain favourites to retain their trophy at Old Trafford in May.

“Zidane has proved to be the best player in his position for the last three years,” Keane told BBC GMR.

“I have played against him two or three times and he is someone I admire greatly. Obviously, he plays in the same area of the field as me and the challenge of coming face to face with him again is one to relish.”

With question marks still hanging over his long-term future following the hip operation which forced him to miss almost four months of the season, time is running out for Keane to claim what he believes is an authentic winners’ medal.

Famously suspended for the final win against Bayern Munich in 1999, Keane remains the inspiration behind the United side, even though he has been operating in a more restricted role than he has done in the past.

He returned from a four-match absence with a hamstring problem in the handsome win over Liverpool on Saturday and, even if he would have preferred to have appeared more often, is starting to feel good again.

“Overall it has been a frustrating season for me,” he said. “However, I am feeling fairly good now and hopefully the injuries are in the past now.

“Physically I’m quite strong and now I’m just looking forward to what should be a big six weeks.”

Alex Ferguson has been forced to apologise for his public claims that UEFA do not want his team to reach the final on home soil and fixed the draw to give them the hardest possible route back to Old Trafford.

For Keane though, the venue of the final is irrelevant anyway. Having seen the way United were sucked into the dream of taking Ferguson home to Glasgow 12 months ago only to suffer an unexpected exit at Bayer Leverkusen’s hands at the semi-final stage, he is anxious not to suffer a similar fate this time round.

“I don’t want to go down that road again,” he said.

“All we have to worry about is getting past Real Madrid. They are a fantastic side and a great club and that will be a challenge in itself.

“We have disappointed in Europe over the last few years and now we have to try and put it right.”