Istanbul 2005. The referee had just blown his whistle for half-time. The brilliant Brazilian Kaka glided off the pitch having just delivered a majestic display.

He had inspired AC Milan to a 3-0 lead in the Champions League final against Liverpool, the third goal coming after Kaka had made a fool out of Steven Gerrard with an audacious turn which eventually set up Hernan Crespo to score.

Kaka was a class apart. Anyone with a football brain would have said the then 23-year-old would go on and dominate world football.

It hasn’t exactly worked out that way.

True in 2007, Kaka was highly influential when Milan won the European Cup, especially in the semi-final success against Manchester United, but bar that he has never reached the heights of that first 45 minutes in Istanbul.

Still, Real Madrid were willing to pay virtually £60 million for him this week as Florentine Perez, back as President, flexed his muscles in his bid to make the Spanish giants great again. He wants the Galácticos back and Cristiano Ronaldo is next on the hitlist.

The Kaka fee is extraordinary but not surprising as Perez loves to make these big financial statements of intent.

Kaka is, of course, a magnificent footballer, but for my money, he has fallen behind the man he made a fool of in the capital of Turkey fours years ago.

Gerrard is now the best player in the world in the role Kaka specialises in playing, just behind the striker.

Looking back to 2005, after being outclassed by Kaka in that first half, the Liverpool captain had the character and class to take the game by the scruff of the neck in the second period to mount a miraculous comeback, completely outshining Kaka in the process and guiding the Reds to the most famous victory in their history.

While Kaka has enjoyed fleeting moments of magic since, Gerrard has been Mr Consistency going from strength to strength.

Indeed but for him, until Fernado Torres arrived, Liverpool would have languished in mid-table rather than dining at the top four table in England and making progress to the latter stages in Europe.

I have to ask: if Kaka is worth £60 million, what price Stevie G?

Not that Liverpool would ever want to sell, but like Ronaldo at United, the bidding would have to start at £75 million.

Barcelona’s wonderful wing wizard Lionel Messi is regarded by many as the finest footballer on the planet, but along with Ronaldo, Gerrard, at club level at any rate, is a contender for that crown.

Indeed Zinedine Zidane says that Gerrard is THE best player around right now.

Former Real Madrid great Zidane, who Kaka aspires to emulate at the Bernabeu, would know a thing or two about that mantle.

Fantastic Ferris will roar again as a Lion

Stephen Ferris will obviously come home feeling dejected after his Lions tour finished early due to injury.

No doubt about it, the big Ulsterman was unlucky.

But once the pain eases he can feel extremely proud of what he achieved in South Africa and indeed how he has performed over the last 18 months.

Thanks to some sensational performances for Ulster and Ireland, including his heroics in the Grand Slam success, Ferris has become respected throughout the rugby world.

Feared for his crunching hits and ability to score tries, as he showed in his short spell in South Africa, you can bet that the world champions will be pleased they won’t be facing him in the Tests.

Although it may be difficult for him to accept now, the future will only be bright for the flanker.

I’m certain he will play major roles in future tours with the Lions.

My only fear with Ferris is that he has so much potential that Ulster are going to find it difficult to keep hold of him.

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Can you believe it’s 25 years since that fantastic French team won the 1984 European Championships?

In honour of that my top 10 this week will be on French footballers.

There is lots of talk these days about Franck Ribery, but he couldn’t lace the boots of Laurent Blanc, Bixente Lizarazu, Youri Djorkaeff, Jean Pierre Papin, Dominique Rocheteau and Didier Six and they don’t even make my list!

It was tough choosing between the first two, but in the end ZZ’s tops.

1. Zinedine |Zidane

2. Michel Platini

3. Jean Tigana

4. Thierry Henry

5. Liliam Thuram

6. Patrick Vieira

7. Marcel |Desailly

8. Didier |Deschamps

9. Alain Giresse

10. Eric Cantona (far right)