Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane insists he will do his best against his hometown club Olympique Marseille in a Champions League match on Wednesday.

The France playmaker will appear at the Stade Velodrome for the first time in five years in the Group F clash.

"On the one hand my heart speaks as I'm a Marseille fan and I will always remain one and on the other hand I'm coming with Real to do my best, unfortunately," Zidane said. "But whatever the outcome, I hope it'll be a great game."

Since leaving Girondins Bordeaux to join Juventus in 1996, Zidane has not met Marseille in a competitive game and he admitted it would be a special match, especially as his family will be in the crowd supporting Marseille.

"For me, it's a homecoming. Here is the place where I grew up, it's like my family and it's always great to be back," he said.

"But I have more memories from standing in the tribunes than from being on the pitch. Players of old used to make me dream and now I'm trying to do the same with the crowd here," he added.

"I'm glad because to play against Marseille with Real is a childhood dream come true."

Another dream "Zizou" had was to play for Marseille but he said that would never now become a reality.

"When I was younger, it was probably a dream, but it didn't happen when it was possible. Now I'm under contract and the end of my career is nearing.

"When I stop my career, later, in another life, maybe I will have some regrets," he said.

But playing for Juventus and Real at least helped Zidane equal the record for the most European games played by a Frenchman held by his former France and Juventus team mate Didier Deschamps with 78.

"It will be hard to catch him for the number of caps so it will be nice to at least beat him for the number of European games played," Zidane said.