I got to see Zeta but I'm really in love with Zola

Rose star-struck after seeing Blues hero on backroom staff

- NEIL MCLEMAN

CATHERINE ZETAJONES, Eli Manning, John McEnroe and Brooklyn Peltz Beckham were among the celebrities hitting the fairways yesterday at the Ryder Cup.

But Justin Rose has only been "star-struck" by one person in Long Island this week-Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola.

The former Italy striker is part of the Team Europe backroom staff here and the buggy driver of his friend and vicecaptain Francesco Molinari.

It came as a big surprise to Rose, a staunch supporter of the Stamford Bridge club, where Zola was a huge success between 1996 and 2003.

The former US Open and Olympic champion said: "He's a Chelsea legend and clearly I'm a Chelsea fan. I didn't know he was coming this week. So it was a huge surprise.

"He's one of the first people I literally bumped into. I was coming around the corner hotel to the lifts and bumped into him.

"I meet a lot of cool people in my life through the game of golf. But I was like: 'Whoa! Wow! Hey, Gianfranco!' I was starstruck which is amazing" "Football hits differently, especially back at home. I've become more of an engaged football fan in the last decade.

I have a 16-year-old-son who's mad about his football. So it's a thing we connect with now." Novak Djokovic spoke to Team Europe before the 2023 Rome win and world No.14 Rose hopes the football legend can provide the same spark.