COULD France and Juventus superstar Zinedine Zidane really be on his way to Blackpool?

Probably not, but when the world footballer of the year's wife reportedly told him to leave his Serie A club and move somewhere closer to the Seaside, Blackpool were among a host of English clubs to make cheeky offers for the World Cup winner.

A collective comment from the staff at the club went thus: "The attraction to Zinedine from Blackpool will be the sandy beaches - reminding him very much of the Mediterranean."

Bournemouth manager Mel Machin went so far as to suggest his wife occupy herself with his team's laundry and Torquay chairman Mervyn Benney offered wages of £500 per week.

And Scarborough chairman John Russell suggested that he wouldn't get homesick with his team because their strip was sponsored by a pizza manufacturer.

Rumours that Zidane's wage demands were a bag of fish and chips and a donkey ride per week were unsubstantiated.

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