'I was always watching him' - Pogba hails hero Zidane

France star Paul Pogba has spoken of his admiration for his idol Zinedine Zidane, hailing his "beautiful" style as a player.

Zidane inspired France to the 1998 World Cup title, with two goals in the final, and Pogba has revealed that he would only ever focus on the now Real Madrid head coach when watching his sides play.

The 44-year-old, who guided Madrid to success in the Champions League and the Club World Cup in 2016, has been nominated for FIFA's Best Men's Coach award, but Pogba is still in awe of Zidane's talents on the pitch.

"I admire him a lot," he told FIFA.com. "When I was younger, I was watching his videos, the way he was playing.

"I love big players, but there are some players who have something extra. On the pitch you have 11 players, in the squad, 22, and you see only one or two.

"You always see him doing something special, the way he's playing, it's beautiful to see. Ronaldinho was the same, these are players who have something special – he has that.

"I was always watching him. The ball was in one place but I was always looking for Zidane."