New darling

Replacing Zidane on Wednesday, Franck Ribery enthralls the crowd just like the French master

France fans applauded politely when Zinedine Zidane was substituted in Wednesday8217;s 2-0 win over Denmark, saving wild roars of approval for the man who replaced him, Franck Ribery.

Ribery was quick to repay their adulation, showing off his dribbling prowess and provoking the penalty that allowed Sylvain Wiltord to double France8217;s advantage in Lens.

The midfielder, who was born near northern Lens, stayed on the pitch after the final whistle to savour a deserved ovation and it is clear he will play a major role in France8217;s World Cup campaign. 8220;I feel really good in that team,8221; said the energetic 23-year-old. 8220;Every time we train or play together, it8217;s a lot of fun.8221;

In just two short appearances, Ribery, who made a promising debut in a 1-0 win over Mexico last Saturday, has become everybody8217;s darling. The fans chanted his name before he came on for the last 15 minutes against Mexico. They did it again on Wednesday and were rewarded with a 25-minute display packed with thrilling moves.

8220;The way the public immediately adopted him and love him is amazing,8221; said striker Thierry Henry, who opened the scoring on Wednesday. Raymond Domenech had overlooked the great hope of French football before including him in his 23-man World Cup squad. The coach now believes Ribery could have a big part to play. 8220;We selected him for his qualities and we have seen a sample already,8221; Domenech said. 8220;Let8217;s hope we will see some more from now to July 9.8221;

Arguably the finest player in Ligue 1 last season, Olympique Marseille8217;s Ribery has been hailed as the next Zidane for a while.

Some reporters went as far as suggesting after the match that Ribery should push Zidane on to the substitutes8217; bench.

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France defender Willy Sagnol scoffed at that idea. 8220;If you believe that you don8217;t know anything about football. Franck is a good player who might become a very good player but he8217;s got nothing to do with Zizou. They don8217;t play in the same role. In fact they can very well play together.8221;

France still need the unique vision and play-making skills of the 33-year-old Zidane, who will retire after the finals in Germany.

An attacking midfielder who races the ball forward and loves to sprint down the wings, Ribery has a different profile and is a perfect joker to pull out when fresh legs and ideas are needed.

8220;Franck will come on every time now,8221; predicted Henry. 8220;Once he was on the pitch, we all immediately started looking for him. His game is very simple. He always moves the ball forward and is also clever enough to retain it for a bit when necessary. Having him on the team is a real bonus,8221; Henry added. Patrick Vignal