I played with Zinedine Zidane on the PlayStation – three years later I’m swapping shirts with him

Philippe Senderos not only pocketed Zinedine Zidane in his final Champions League match – but he also took his shirt.

The ex-Arsenal centre-back was key in the club’s run to their first and only European Cup final in the 2005/06 season.

Having replaced Sol Campbell in the line-up, the former Switzerland international put in career-best performances at the age of 21 against the world’s elite.

Senderos played a total of 630 minutes in the Champions League that campaign, a run stretching from the last two group games to the semi-final first leg.

In that time, Arsenal battled against Ajax, Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal – with Senderos helping the Gunners to clean sheets in all seven matches.

But it was the last-16 clash against boyhood club Real that stands out for him, where he went from controlling them on the PlayStation to knocking them out.

He helped Arsenal create history in the first leg by becoming the first English team to win at Madrid, before holding the Spanish giants to a goalless draw at Highbury.

Senderos kept Ronaldo, Raul and David Beckham at bay – as well as Zidane – who retired from football following the World Cup in 2006.

Speaking to talkSPORT.com about what it was like to face the star-studded squad, he said: “It was unbelievable.

“First, to play against Real Madrid with my dad being Spanish, was a very big deal.

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“I grew up supporting Real Madrid all my life, so playing at the Bernabeu was realising a dream.

“It was incredible to play against these legends of the game.

“You can imagine [I was] playing with them on the PlayStation, and a few years later I’m playing for Arsenal at the Bernabeu against the Galacticos.”

Senderos then revealed that he had swapped shirts with Raul following the first leg, and with Zidane in north London.

And the 2005 FA Cup winner believes the defeat Arsenal inflicted on Real will still remain fresh in their memory.

Discussing the exchange of jerseys, Senderos stated: “They didn’t ask [for my shirt], but I bet they remember that game.

“Because we beat them, we were the first English team to beat them at the Bernabeu, and it was an amazing period for us.”

Unfortunately for Senderos and Arsenal, they ultimately came unstuck in the final against Real’s LaLiga rivals Barcelona – despite leading with 15 minutes left on the clock.

Senderos was an unused substitute at Stade de France having only returned from injury, with Campbell opening the scoring in his absence.

But Arsenal, who saw Jens Lehmann sent off in the 18th minute, failed to hang on, with Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti finding the back of the net in the latter stages.