Just for you Zizou

Apart from the fact he plays football that even I can see is beautiful to watch, I have always had a soft spot for Zinedine Zidane.

I love the way that when you watch clips of him play, you can always tell what year it is by the size of his bald spot. I love his smile, which manages to be both shy and ear-splittingly genuine. I love his monotonous post-match dissections, so at odds with the poetry of his performance on the pitch. I love the fact that despite his modest bearing and origins (the son of an Arab immigrant from a rough area of Marseilles), he has acheived success through talent alone. He seems like a thoroughly nice bloke, and it must be said, very different from some of the England players that you wouldn't fancy meeting down an alleyway.

What a shame our lot can't move on from the penalty shoot-out death spiral. The first England team that manages it should all be knighted.

I never thought I'd say it, but I'm supporting France for the rest of this tournament. Just for you Zizou.

xx