Former France coach Raymond Domenech says Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema deserves to be regarded among his country's greatest players.

Benzema hasn't played for Les Bleus since before the 2016 Euros due to his alleged role in a blackmail plot.

But Domenech insists Benzema's impact at club level puts him at the level of France's greats.

He explained, "Benzema is not an assassin (referring to a scorer). He is a bit of a chameleon, he needs to touch the ball. He was molded by Real Madrid. He came from Lyon in the rough. He was a sporting phenomenon. Mentally, he is strong.

"There he will remain between great players like (Michel) Platini at Juve or (Eric) Cantona at Manchester United. Benzema is the most complete French striker at the moment because he does a little bit of everything. He goes to the wings, he can receive, he is a scorer, a passer. Technically, he is above average."

Domenech continued: "The advantage that he has over (Kylian) Mbappé, for example, is that he is ten years old older. He had another career. Mbappé, in ten years, may have the same technical background. Benzema is able to play, make efforts, create movement for others and use others to put himself in a position to score. He really found his place in these nine and a half years.

"He has more intelligence when running compared to the others."