Paris: Former France star Zinedine Zidane praised the “professionalism” of Paris Saint-Germain newcomer David Beckham on Tuesday, while also lauding Ligue 1’s top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Zidane, a teammate of Beckham’s at Real Madrid, said the ex-England captain would “surprise” his teammates at the French table-toppers with his professionalism before citing Ibrahimovic’s remarkable body control.
“He is going to surprise you,” said the 1998 Ballon d’Or winner in reference to Beckham on Canal+.
“He is a truly great professional. He is going to show some professionalism and that cannot hurt some of the guys today.”
The 37-year-old Beckham agreed a five-month deal with PSG at the end of January and will join his new teammates for the first time at training on Wednesday.
Zidane went on to dismiss reservations about the midfielder’s physical condition, saying: “He didn’t come to play 90 minutes every match. He will bring his touch, and that he is capable of doing in 20 minutes, half an hour. He has a way of striking free-kicks, putting his foot against the ball, which is different from others.
“He’s a guy who loves to play, at 37 years old he’s still here, he doesn’t do it for anything other than passion,” stressed Zidane before turning his focus to Ibrahimovic.
“The way in which he moves with his height and his weight impresses me. He teases a bit but is someone who has a good heart,” the Real Madrid sporting director said of the Swedish talisman.
“He gives off plenty of personality of course, but I think at the end of the day he is someone rather sensible who puts a shell around himself when he does sensational interviews,” concluded Zidane.
