Zinedine Zidane was in no doubt when naming the 'most beautiful' goal of his career

Zinedine Zidane is rightfully viewed as one of the greatest midfielders in the history of football.

The legendary Frenchman enthralled fans for almost two decades with his elegant style of play and ability to score spectacular goals.

After starting out with Cannes in his native France, Zidane later moved to Bordeaux before eventually developing into a world-class player at Juventus and later Real Madrid.

Zidane is perhaps most known for his five-year spell at the Bernabeu, having first moved to Madrid for a then world record €77.5 million (£64.5m) fee in 2001.

He scored 49 goals in 227 appearances for the club, winning both La Liga and the Champions League during his time in the Spanish capital.

Arguably the greatest French player in history, Zidane also scored 31 goals in 108 games for his national side – winning the World Cup in 1998 and the Euros two years later.

He could have won the World Cup for a second time in 2006 but was infamously sent off in the final against Italy, who went on to win on penalties – with Zidane immediately retiring from professional football after the defeat.

Zidane would later move into management with Madrid, winning the Champions League three times and La Liga twice during two separate spells as head coach.

Over the course of his illustrious playing career, Zidane scored 156 goals in club and international football.

And when asked which was his favourite, the legendary attacking midfielder was in no doubt.

Speaking to Real Madrid's official YouTube channel, Zidane picked his unforgettable volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League final at Hampden Park as his "most beautiful".

Zidane named the goal against Bayer Leverkusen as his favourite (Image: Getty)

"The best and the most beautiful one, the most important one, is the goal against Leverkusen," said Zidane.

"I think it's the Champions League goal. I only needed this goal to win the Champions League.

"It's not an original pick, but it's a goal that's…"

"Spectacular," added the interviewer.

Zidane also went on to name his two favourite grounds to visit with Real Madrid.

He named Liverpool's Anfield and Manchester United's Old Trafford, before revealing 'wet grass' to be his favourite smell related to football.

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