Seve Ballesteros, a hero to several generations of European golfers, has spoken of his own sporting idols.
In the second part of his interview with Spanish sports daily Marca, the 51-year-old named one-time rival Jack Nicklaus as one of his favourite golfers.
Ballesteros said he had always admired the 18-time Major winner''s "impressive concentration" on the golf course, while also praising his compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal, who he described as "the best short-irons player I have seen in my life".
Asked to name some of his favourite sportsmen outside golf, Ballesteros mentioned Barcelona football stars Lionel Messi and Bojan Krkic before describing Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal as "a phenomenon".
The five-time Major winner said that his main target is to "recover normality" after the upheaval of the last six months, but also revealed tentative plans to design a new course in Santander.
Ballesteros is currently recovering at his home in northern Spain after undergoing four operations to remove a brain tumour. He was admitted to hospital in October after collapsing at the airport in Madrid.
01/04/2009