Benayoun is our Zizou says Pardew
Tuesday, 13 September 2005Alan Pardew hailed Yossi Benayoun as West Ham's very own version of Zinedine Zidane after the tricky Israeli turned in another inspirational display for the Hammers.
Benayoun, a £2.5million summer purchase from Racing Santander, scored his first goal in a claret and blue shirt to seal last night's 4-0 win over a Dave O'Leary's bewildered Aston Villa side.
While Marlon Harewood earned all the immediate plaudits for his hat-trick heroics, Benayoun played a major role in laying the foundations for West Ham's victory.
Pardew believes he has picked up a gem in the man hailed as a diamond for the Israeli international side.
He said: "He is one of those players that makes you get out of your seat. He is easy on the eye, he lets the ball drift across him like Zidane and he goes either way. It is very difficult to deal with when you have players like that."
Pardew joked about Benayoun's slight build when he signed for West Ham and he claimed that they might need to fatten him up. However concerns that he would be out-muscled in the hustle and bustle of the Premiership have so far proved unfounded.
West Ham will look to add bulk to his frame but not at the expense of the elusive skills that make him unique.
