ZIDANE
I’m Zinedine Zidane
Not the French professional footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time
I’m not the elite playmaker renowned for his elegance, vision, ball control and technique
Nor am I the attacking midfielder who dominated for Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus and Real Madrid
I’m not the 21st century portrait who’s greeted in the streets by thousands of fans waving flags
and rhythmically chanting “Zizou! Zizou!”
And I’m definitely not the headbutting Prince of La Castellane
No I’m not that Zinedine Zidane
I’m the other Zinedine Zidane
The house painter
With the bad knees
From Launceston
The bald man
Estranged from his kids
Who lives for the weekend and
Emu Export
The debt-riddled
Alcoholic whose
Bitter divorce settlement
Has plunged him
Into a deep, all-consuming depression