Blackburn Rovers supporters are well used to the club's glory days being revisited, but a story doing the rounds this week serves as a reminder that the Ewood Park club once came remarkably close to signing Zinedine Zidane, widely regarded as one of the finest footballers the game has ever produced.

How close did it get?

According to a BBC Sport video feature published on 25 September, the French legend, who is now manager of the France national team, very nearly made Blackburn his destination during his playing career. The report, presented by Sam Harris, tells the full story of how discussions around a potential move for Zidane reached a serious stage, only for the deal to ultimately fall through.

The details of exactly why the move collapsed are not fully laid out, but the fact that it got as far as it apparently did is a remarkable footnote in the history of the Championship club. Had the transfer come off, the landscape of English football in the 1990s could have looked very different indeed.

Context: Blackburn in their pomp

The period when Zidane was attracting interest from clubs across Europe coincided with one of the most dramatic rises in Blackburn's history. Backed by the late Jack Walker's considerable investment, Rovers climbed from the second tier to win the top-flight title in 1994-95, making them one of the most ambitious clubs in England at the time. In that context, an approach for a young Zidane was not as far-fetched as it might sound today.

It is a story that speaks to a broader truth about transfer markets, then and now: the difference between a transformative signing landing and failing to land can come down to remarkably small margins. Blackburn did not get their man on that occasion, and Zidane went on to become a World Cup and European Championship winner with France, as well as a Champions League winner multiple times over at club level.

What it means now

For Rovers supporters today, following a club competing in the Championship, tales of what might have been carry a particular bittersweet quality. The club is a long way from the days when it could credibly pursue players of Zidane's calibre, but the story is a genuine piece of the club's history, and one worth knowing.

It also arrives at a time when Blackburn are working hard to build momentum in the second tier, with the academy producing promising young players and the squad being reshaped. The ambition that once nearly brought one of football's greats to Lancashire may be expressed differently now, but it has not entirely disappeared from Ewood Park.

Whether the Zidane near-miss is a source of pride, frustration, or simply fascination, it is a story that belongs firmly in the fabric of this club's identity. Not many second-tier sides can claim to have come that close to signing a future Ballon d'Or winner. Blackburn Rovers can.

Frequently asked

Did Zinedine Zidane ever play for Blackburn Rovers?
No. Zidane never played for Blackburn Rovers, but according to a BBC Sport report, he came close to signing for the club during his playing career before the deal fell through.
When did Blackburn Rovers nearly sign Zidane?
The move is linked to the period when Blackburn were one of England's most ambitious clubs, backed by Jack Walker's investment in the early-to-mid 1990s, though the precise timing is not fully confirmed in the BBC Sport report.
What division are Blackburn Rovers in now?
Blackburn Rovers currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of English football.