Newcastle United rejected the chance to sign French legend Zinedine Zidane, it has been revealed.

Agent Barry Silkman says he offered Zizou to then Toon boss Kevin Keegan when the midfielder was preparing to leave Bordeaux.

He told sport.co.uk: "I have missed out on players. I suppose the biggest player I missed out on was Zinedine Zidane.

"I offered him to Newcastle at the beginning of the 1996 season for £1.2million. And they watched him and said that he wasn't good enough to play in the First Division which is the Championship now.

"Three months later he went to Juventus for £1.2million and two years later he went for £48million. So I think the people at Newcastle got it slightly wrong."