Ex-Sunderland striker John O'Hare enjoyed a long and fruitful career, mostly played out under the tutelage of Brian Clough.
Clough, himself a former frontman for the Wearsiders, coached the Scot as a youngster before luring him away to Derby County and beyond.
O'Hare won two league titles and two European Cups as a player under Clough, who established a reputation as one of the best and most charismatic managers in the world. Clough died in September 2004 at the age of 69.
Signed by Sunderland as a youth player, O'Hare progressed quickly through the ranks having been taught the tools of the trade by Clough, who had a spell as youth team coach at Roker Park following the knee injury which ended his playing career on Boxing Day 1962.
And even now O'Hare, who is a member of the popular Former Players' Association, still looks out for his first love in the professional game.
"I have very fond memories of Sunderland and they are still my favourite team," he said. "I'm pretty passive about football when I watch it, until I watch Sunderland play.
"I first came to Sunderland from Scotland as a young boy and I have always really supported Sunderland. I still know a lot of the lads there and they were good times in a good place to grow up.
"I'd been down in about 1962 when my mum and dad took me to Roker Park to watch a Sunderland-Newcastle game. It finished 3-3 and I remember the atmosphere being absolutely amazing, electric.
"The chief scout there had some contacts in my local area - Nicky Sharkey went to the same school as me and Bobby Kerr was just up the road.
"I came down to have a look around and it looked like a nice place to live as well."
He continued: "My debut was in a friendly against Benfica. We beat them 5-1 and I must have been 17 or 18 at the time. To play against a team like that was a bit special and we absolutely smashed them. I scored.
"Then I made my league debut against Chelsea after we had been promoted - I never played in the Second Division.
"I realized then just how hard the game was. I'd played in the reserves and scored quite a few goals, but the difference between the first team and the reserves is just massive. I remember sitting down after the game and thinking 'I don't know if I'll be able to do this', but I went on to eventually get in the side and did well."
O'Hare made 51 league appearances for Sunderland between 1964 and 1967, but one series of games stands out clearly in his memory.
"The game which meant the most to me was when we played Leeds in the FA Cup [in 1967]," he said.
"We drew 0-0 at Roker Park - I hit the post with a good strike and maybe I should have scored. They were a top, top team and had always been Sunderland's rivals in the second division.
"We went there and drew one each before they beat us at Hull City's ground, Boothferry Park. They were all really high-level games; we were robbed in the third match.
"We should have beaten them but nonetheless they are the games which stand out for me."
But, that same year, events were to be set in motion which would alter the path of his career forever. Basically, Cloughie came calling.
O'Hare picks up the story: "When I started at Sunderland I'd come across Brian as he was coaching the youth team after suffering the knee injury which ended his playing career.
"Just after he went to Derby as manager I was placed on the transfer list for disciplinary reasons. I was a young lad and I might have been a bit strong headed - stupid, in a way. As soon as it happened, Brian was at my house the next day.
"Basically I didn't really know a great deal about Derby. I didn't really want to leave Sunderland but training had been really enjoyable when I was in the youth team and Brian just had something a bit special about him, a desire to get somewhere.
"Obviously he thought I was a good enough player and he made me feel really wanted. I came down and wasn't too sure, but there was a good atmosphere in the town and I picked up quite quickly that it was definitely a football place."
Indeed Derby was a place which would enjoy considerable footballing success under Clough, with O'Hare enjoying his own success at both domestic and international level.
"The first season was average but then things took off. It was a great place to be. We won the league in '72, were beaten in the European Cup by Juventus in '73, and that was the place where I had most of my success.
"I played for Scotland for three seasons until Kenny Dalglish broke into the side, and quite honestly I wasn't going to be able to keep him out! My time playing for Scotland was probably the highlight of my career."
The tail end of O'Hare's career was played out in contrasting environments, both alongside Clough.
The manager spent only 44 days as manager at Leeds - a tenure later recorded in the book and film entitled 'The Damned United'.
He then moved on to Nottingham Forest and was joined by O'Hare shortly afterwards. Together, the pair added yet more silverware to their career CV's - including two European Cups.
"Leeds was a strange experience. I don't really know why Leeds employed Brian. To be honest, I simply went there for the money. I knew I was squad player. The players were absolutely fine with myself, they just didn't like Brian.
"He went at it like a bull at a gate and said things he probably shouldn't have. Brian never really won the players round.
"Then he went to Nottingham Forest, which was handy for me as I still hadn't moved from Derby. In fact, I've lived in the same village since 1967. I was a bit of a fringe player there and played a bit in midfield as opposed to up front.
"We had a great crowd of lads. One of the things Brian could do was create a great atmosphere; we always enjoyed training and that spirit really made a difference. He kept the game simple and encouraged us to do what we were good at.
"The European Cup finals were the peak. I was on the bench for the first one in Munich but managed to get on for half an hour or so for the second, which was held at the Bernabeu in Madrid. It was a fantastic experience - a great way to end my career."
