'I was struggling at school' Zidane opens up about his early days

Zidane is one of the biggest name in football world. The Ballon d'Or winner has done it all, from being one of the greatest player of his generation to being one of the greatest manager of this generation.

As a player, he was known for his elegance, vision, ball control and game sense. He was one of the most complete football players, controlling every game gracefully from the center of the field. As a manager, he won three consecutive Champions league for Real Madrid, instantly skyrocketing his managerial career.

Zidane struggled during his school days

The former France captain talked about his early days and his struggles during school time. He stated that he knew from a very young age that he wanted to become a footballer and did everything he could to keep his dream alive.

“All I wanted to do was play football but I was struggling at school. My parents never scolded me, but I knew that my attitude wasn't right. Then, one day they said to me: 'We know that you have something in mind that you want to do, so do what you really want to do.'"

Zidane told OTRO according to AS English

"Once I had the permission from my father and mother I gave everything to be who I wanted to be. When I arrived in Cannes and watched the other players training I said to myself: ‘This is what I want to do’”.

Zinedine Zidane during his time at Juventus

Determined to be the best in the world

Zidane also stated that he was always determined to be the best in the world and took many measures to keep himself fit and become a better player.

“From that moment, I fought to turn myself into the best player. I made sure I rested well, I never went out to bars drinking to make a fool of myself; I looked after myself, I drank a lot of water and did stretching exercises."

"I did everything I could to become the best player; it was something I had to do at any cost. That is how I made my parents happy and proud of me."

What's next for Zidane?

Now that Zidane is reappointed as Real Madrid's manager after the defending champions were knocked out of the Champions league in the round of 16, the Frenchman has a huge responsibility on his shoulders in saving a sinking Real Madrid, and with his previous records backing him, there is high expectations for him to do so.