ZZ's top: Zinedine Zidane rates Tottenham's Gareth Bale as the best player in Europe

2 Apr 2013 22:30

'You can’t compare him. He’s unique, he makes things look easy, his pace is frightening' says France legend

The Real deal: Spaniards are expected to move for Bale in the summer

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Real Madrid have stepped up their pursuit of Gareth Bale with Zinedine Zidane hailing him as the best player in Europe this season.
The France legend, Director of Football for the Spanish champions, has described £60million-rated Bale as “frightening and “a cut above” his rivals “.
The ringing endorsement will heighten fears among Tottenham fans that Real are set to make the north Londoners an offer they cannot refuse this summer.
Zidane, a three-time World Player of the and a former World Cup-winner, had been speaking ahead of Wednesday night’s Champions League clash between Real and Galatasaray.
Asked which player had impressed him most in the elite competition so far, Zidane glossed over the claims of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Instead he opted to focus on Bale - even though the Spurs winger has been playing in the Europa League.

The bald trutch: Zidane reckons Bale is 'unique'

Clive Rose

  Zidane said: “’There are always players who are a cut above, take Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid for example.
“The problem is this year the player who has impressed me most is not actually playing in the Champions League.
“He is playing in “the other cup” (Europa League), and that is Bale.”
Spurs boss Andre Villas Boas has openly compared his star man to Messi and Ronaldo.
But while Zidane refused to bracket Bale on the same level as the other two, he maintained Tottenham’s talisman IS approaching superstar status.
Zidane added: “’He’s perhaps not quite at the level of the other two, but he’s different. So personally I don’t think he’s far off.”
Bale’s stunning strike in last Saturday’s Premier League win at Swansea was his 27th of the season in all competitions.
Zidane was at the Stade de Gerland last month to see Bale help Spurs into the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Hot Spur: Bale scored his 27th goal of the season against Swansea

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  The Welsh wing wizard had already scored two stunning goals in the home leg of the tie - one a free kick in the very last minute - to tee up the victory.
Zidane added: “You can’t compare him. He’s unique, he makes things look easy, his pace is frightening.
“His acceleration is unbelievable because of his ability to go through the gears in very little space.
“Plus he is very good technically, which is also very important. We must not for get that he plays football very well.
“He’s really impressed me. I’ve seen him two or three times live, including recently at Lyon, which wasn’t necessarily his best game, but where every time he got the ball he can surprise you.”
Bale is set to be in action this on Thursday for Tottenham in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Swiss champions Basel. -------------- Mirror Football