The French forward has been more prolific than ever in recent seasons as he effortlessly carries the goalscoring burden for Los Blancos.
Karim Benzema’s ‘incredible’ longevity and the fact that he is a ‘very complete’ player makes him stand out among all the other strikers of his generation, says Jean-Pierre Papin.
The former Olympique Lyon man arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu on a €35 million transfer back in the summer of 2009.
It did not take long for the striker who found the net nine times in his debut season in Spain to become an integral part of the team.
Benzema has since brought his tally to 261 goals in 531 appearances for the club while enjoying unprecedented success in the process – winning 18 trophies including three La Liga and four Champions League titles.
At 33 years old, he continues to lead the line for Real Madrid, and a former great French striker is impressed by how he has been able to maintain his form, across the last eleven-and-a-half seasons.
“Karim Benzema is the best of his generation by far, he’s very complete,” Papin told L’Equipe. “I like his finishing, his way of participating in the actions of his team, in their creation. He is not only there to score goals, he is there to bring the offensive animation of his training to life.
“His longevity at Real Madrid is incredible. In such a club, where it is not easy to stay or settle down, he arrived, he imposed himself when he was in competition with very great players.
“He evolved his style by putting himself at the service of Cristiano Ronaldo. It may seem simple, but he had the merit of curbing his pure goalscoring ambitions to create harmony with such a star, over time.”
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