Who Is The Greatest Frenchman Of All Time?
Just who is Les Bleus’ greatest player of all time?
Dean Ammi: Zinedine Zidane has to be the greatest player ever to have worn a French national team shirt. Whereas most footballers tend to struggle as they get older, Zizou just got better and better making him such a joy to watch. The 2006 World Cup was a real highlight for me, in spite of that famous head-butt. He danced his way past teams throughout the competition, including that mesmerising assist to Thierry Henry against Brazil. Of Algerian descent, it made it an even greater spectacle. He was the one man that you knew was always going to put in a brilliant performance no matter who the opponent was, or which players he was playing alongside.
Adam Boufkir: The most capped player of all time for the French national team (142 caps in total), Lilian Thuram was a key player in the success during the 1998 World Cup and also the European Championships in 2000. Thuram brought something new to the national team, able to use his size and power to dominate in defence. Former France defender Vincent Candela described Thuram admirably as a “monstre”, suggesting that the defender frightened opponents by his mere presence. Capable of playing in the right-back position as well as centre-back, Thuram had outstanding physical qualities in addition to an excellent reading of the game. This led to Thuram forming half of the famous centre back pairing with Marcel Desailly, both of whom were key in the World Cup. The World Cup in France in 1998 highlighted the big game mentality of Thuram and also defined his career. Thuram scored his only goals for France in the semi-final clash against Croatia, winning the Bronze Ball award for his consistency throughout the tournament (third most valuable player at the World Cup). In my opinion, Thuram not only added a new dimension at the centre of defence, he also showcased the need for an attacking full back in the modern game. He was a legend for club and country.
James Browning: Patrice Evra is without a doubt my favourite French player ever – nobody even runs him close for me. His thirst to learn about the history of Manchester United from day one was insatiable and players respecting club values are becoming rarer and rarer these days. He took a few months to settle in on the pitch, but he’s the best left-back Manchester United have ever had in my lifetime. He was a pleasure to watch, adore, and somewhat coincidentally, share a birthday with! I’ll always cherish THAT goal against Bayern Munich, his leadership, and his love for the fans.
Stephen Byrne: Whilst it’s the obvious answer, Zinedine Zidane is my favourite French footballer, and probably my favourite all time player. His effortless ability to beat players without the need for fancy tricks was unreal. His vision, footballing intelligence and speed of thought were insane. The fact that he will be remembered by the youngest generations for his infamous head-butt is a dying shame. The definition of a two-footed footballer, Zidane was strong in the air, a dead ball specialist and a creative mastermind that had an eye for goal. A player who would always save something special for the biggest games; he was nothing short of a genius.
Yann Griffiths: When you think of David Trezeguet, you think of that penalty miss in the final against Italy in Berlin which cost France the World Cup in 2006. Yet for me, he’s more than just that. Trezeguet was the man who scored the winner in the Euro 2000 final to clinch the title and a prolific goal-scorer for both club and country. His most notable years came at Juventus, where he spent 10 years and notched 149 Serie A goals. The Frenchman was known for his burst of pace and clinical finishes and was renowned for his offensive abilities. I loved him for his clinical nature in and around the six yard box, and he never failed to gobble up loose balls and dispatch with aplomb. He was a natural goal-scorer and was ambidextrous with his feet. He even picked up the nickname “Trezegol” when playing for the Old Lady in Turin. Now 37, the Rouen-born man has since returned to Argentina where he started his career, and even had a stint in the up and coming Indian Super League before retiring this year.