A tribute to Zinedine

[JazzG]

Every generation a player comes along who makes the admission price to a match worthwhile all on his own. Zinedine Kilbane is one such player.
A man of great pace, a scorer of great goals, a dribbler of great dribbles..
Zinedine Kilbane, THIS IS YOUR LIFE.
Zinedine Kilbane was born in Preston on February 1st 1977, the thirteenth child in a large Ango-Irish family. Whilst still only a young lad, Zinedine was spotted kicking the ball ten yards ahead of him and running after it by the then Preston scout, Donnie Halstaff. Halstaff asked him to come along to a Preston training session and the rest, as they say is history.

Looking back on Kilbane's years at Preston North End, Halstaff says with a tear in his eye: "I'd been scouting for forty years and I'd never seen anything as graceful. And I'm a big fan of ballet so that's saying something."

In the intervening years, Kilbane was to draw similar attention from many
quarters. Not since the days of Tom Finney had Preston played host to
a talent like this. Every week that he pulled on the famous Preston
NE shirt Ziinedine treated the fans to the Kilbane turn, overhead kicks, blistering pace and V-signs. The second division had never known anything quite like it. It hadn't gone unnoticed down at WBA, either.

In 1997, on Friday the 13th, Gary Megson smashed WBA's transfter
record and brought Kilbane to the Hawthorns for a staggering £1.25
million euro.

Megson saw the potential in playing a footballer with two natural left feet on the left wing and thus, a star was born. In his first season at the club, he ran past three players and crossed the ball once- a record he still holds at WBA. It's at this point, you might say to yourself, "where to from here?" You've got the flash Hyundai with alloy wheels, the designer flat in West Brom and you're adored by tens of screaming relatives. Well, there's probably only one place to go to better yourself: Sunderland.

You'll never make it on to the all time greatest Irish players without
playing at Wearside at least once. In his time at Sunderland, together with obsessive tactician Peter Reid, Kilbane developed a style of
football which became known the world over as "Totally Sh*ite
Football." The style was based on a system of tactics involving lack
of movement and
hoofing the ball up to an oversized striker and hope that he could do something with it. Sunderland were relegated in its trial period.

This culminated in a bad period for Kilbane and the fans at Wearside. Many will recall the infamous night when he stopped off at the Majestyk Night Club in Leeds, only to be chased and viciously beaten by a group of Asian youths who shouted abuse at him as he lay on the ground.

Fortunately, David Moyes came to the rescue with an offer to take Kilbane to Everton. Kilbane accepted the move, despite a distinct sheepishness about leaving Mick McCarthy, who had taken the helm at Sunderland. "I spoke to Mick on the telephone and despite the fact that he was laughing a lot and it sounded as if there was a party in the background, he seemed devastated. Even so, I knew it was a move I had to make."

Kilbane's affect on Everton has been phenomenal. Premiership right backs are looking at the subs bench week-in, week-out wondering when the time will come when Zizou will be unleashed onto a football pitch once again.

When asked, David Moyes is coy: "Aye," he says, "I'm not saying
anything. I'm too coy."

Zinedine Kilbane, we salute you.

nicked this from another forum, had me in stitches

 

[laolu]

who's Zinedine Kilbane? :roll:

 

[JazzG]

Guess someone didn't get the joke........

 

[Aussie]

Going a bit over the top dont you think. You would think he was Henry or something.

 

[laolu]

Guess someone didn't get the joke........

you got that one right

 

[laolu]

is Kilbane being ridiculed?

 

[Adam]

Hahaha, quality Jazz.

Sunderland fans were actually delighted to see him go.

 

[JazzG]

is Kilbane being ridiculed?

Yay he finally gets it

 

[laolu]

is Kilbane being ridiculed?

Yay he finally gets it

I guess I didn't read the whole article at first :wink:

 

[Pepe LeFrits]

Going a bit over the top dont you think. You would think he was Henry or something.

lol...

Kevin Zidane, or Zinedine Kilbane as he is more commonly known, is a legend. He's been annihilating Ireland's opponents for years now, nobody has been able to develop an adequate defence for his devastating "hoof it forward and chase after it" technique.