Clubs: AS Cannes, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid CF

• Born in Marseille to Algerian immigrant parents, Zidane took his first steps to footballing superstardom at Cannes, where he remained for four years before transferring in 1992 to Bordeaux.

• While there, he blossomed into a French international, scoring twice on his international debut against the Czech Republic in August 1994.

• Left Bordeaux after helping them reach the 1996 UEFA Cup final and joined Juventus, where he was a Serie A winner and UEFA Champions League runner-up in each of his first two seasons; won no further trophies, however, in his last three campaigns in Turin prior to a world-record €78m transfer to Madrid in 2001.

• Made up for a lack of club silverware by inspiring France to victory at 1998 FIFA World Cup – he scored two headers in the Paris final against Brazil – and at UEFA EURO 2000, where he was the Player of the Tournament; winner of the Ballon d'Or in 1998, he was voted FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003.

• Made it third time lucky in the UEFA Champions League final by scoring a spectacular volleyed winner in Madrid's 2-1 victory over Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the 2002 showpiece at Hampden Park; won the UEFA Super Cup, European/South American Cup and the Spanish Liga the following season.

• Announced his international retirement after UEFA EURO 2004 but returned a year later and proved inspirational once again at the 2006 World Cup – especially with a virtuoso performance in a quarter-final win against holders Brazil; however, dismissed for a headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final against Italy – the last match of his career.

UEFA honours
UEFA European Championship: winner 2000
UEFA EURO 2000: Player of the Tournament
UEFA EURO 2000: Team of the Tournament
UEFA EURO 2004: Team of the Tournament
UEFA Champions League: winner 2002, runner-up 1997, 1998
UEFA Cup: runner-up 1996
UEFA Super Cup: winner 1996, 2002
European/South American Cup: winner 1996, 2002
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2002
UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year: 1998
UEFA.com users' Team of the Year: 2001, 2002, 2003