Ferdinand described Zidane as ‘phenomenal’, while McManaman said the Frenchman is a ‘tactician’.
Zidane’s men eliminated Liverpool from the Champions League on a 3-1 aggregate after playing a 0-0 draw in the second-leg at Anfield last night.
Zidane took charge of Real Madrid between 2016 and 2018 before returning for a second spell – and has already steered them to 11 trophies.
“This guy [Zidane] has an unbelievable knack,” Ferdinand told BT Sport. “He’s not been around that long and has done it in a short space of time.
“He’s come in and just hoovered up trophy after trophy, the big ones. Three Champions League trophies as a manager? It’s phenomenal.
“He doesn’t have much to say, he never had much to say as a player. He let his football do the talking. He’s very much the same in management.
“He hasn’t got a lot to say, he’s not prickly with anyone really. He’s very much about getting the job done, and he does it immaculately.
“He just gets to a final, and he just understands how to win. That’s a unique position to be in.”
On his part, McManaman said, “He’s done an incredible job. If it was any other manager, we’d be falling over ourselves, applauding these people.
“The fact that he’s so cool, the fact he doesn’t want plaudits, the fact he’s nice and relaxed, people don’t think he’s a tactician, but actually he is.
“He does his homework, he knows how to play. They knew where Liverpool’s weaknesses were. He’s great at his job.
“He deserves more credit, and he certainly deserves more credit from the Spanish press. They’ve been brutal at times.”
