A friend of mine has a son who is a good soccer player and a big Zinedine Zidane fan.

It wasn't surprising when he was seen wearing a T-shirt that had his hero's picture printed on it before the World Cup final.

Walk into his room and you will be greeted with a volley of Zidane posters, the star attraction being his famous winning header in the 1998 World Cup final.

Naturally this young fan's only aim in life is to grow up to be like Zidane, barring the bald patch.

Was he still Zidane's fan was what I wanted to know, especially after his ugly dismissal for head butting Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the recent final?

Without a blink, he replied, "Of course, my hero has shown me how to put one's head to good use on the field. My coach has always insisted that I use my head while playing. But it was only on Sunday that I got the real point. My hero Zidane showed me how to use my head in innovative ways."

Before I could even interrupt to point out how unsporting Zidane's act was, the boy went on: "So far I had only practised heading the ball; now I will have to get some training on how to head my opponent's chest and ensure that he falls down," he added.

Banging head

When I reminded him that it would bring him shame, he said: "Don't dissuade me. I've already started strengthening my forehead by banging my head against a pile of pillows and the door. By the time I am ready to represent my country, my head will be strong enough to ground any of my opponents."

Tapping his forehead with pride, he said: "Now I need to spend more time on head butting than on dribbling because in case I fail to head the ball into the goal post, I must ensure that at least I send the opponent flying into the goal post with a head butt."

Again preventing me from commenting on his decision, he rattled off: "I want to be better than Zidane. Instead of marking me, players should now aim to move away from me, covering their chests. Hope Fifa does not introduce chest guards like in cricket."

Finally when he stopped, I tried to highlight the blemish that such acts could have on his career.

His response was: "It's always good to leave a mark on your opponent's chest."

Thinking aloud a little more, he said, "I wonder why people called Diego Maradona unsporting for using his hand during the 1986 World Cup. It is unfortunate that great soccer players are not permitted to use their body parts during the game. I hope to see some change in the rules in the future. How about a green card for that?"