"In high school I would not pay attention to someone like me," said Ndiaye, now the 20-year-old star midfielder of the University of Connecticut's national champion.

Asked to explain the play of his star midfielder, Domenech said: "He is Zidane.

Zinedine Zidane, the star midfielder, is of Algerian descent.

Roberto Baggio, the 23-year-old star midfielder for the Florence team, was sold to Juventus yesterday for a record $13 million.

Deighan had been a star midfielder in the England team which reached the 1984 European Competition for Women's Football.

Kubik, a star midfielder with Slavia Prague, was 24; Knoflicek, a striker for the same team, 26.

Atuegbu was a star midfielder for the University of San Francisco from 1974 to 1977.

Maurice Sullivan - Mauritius-born, "Frenchie" was a star midfielder in more than 200 games for Croatia over a 13-year period.

"Man it's too hot to play," said De Rosario, a star attacking midfielder for the Houston Dynamo, as he drove to training early yesterday.

The injury, along with his discipline problems, curtailed a promising international future for Azrul who was tipped to be a star midfielder for Malaysia.