"HULL PUT THE BALL OUT FOR A CORNER TO STOP MY LONG THROW - WE'D SCORED MORE AT CORNERS!"

The former javelin ace became a cult hero by rattling defences everywhere - he later spent time in a panic room in Israel before watching son Liam shine

- Interview Chris Flanagan

When did you first realise you could throw the ball a really long way?

When I was playing for Carlisle's youth team. I used it at every club during my career but in different ways - at Stoke it only became notorious because we had eight or nine players who were 6ft 4in and very brave. But I used it at Carlisle, Derby and Southampton under Gordon Strachan - he used to like it if I threw it as high as possible, so the opposition couldn't clear it. I used it for Ireland too.

Is it true that you were a talented javelin thrower as a kid?

I got really good at 800m and javelin - I competed at county level and cleaned up in javelin. I think my personal best was 55 metres when I stopped at 14 or 15 and football took over instead.

You became Southampton’s record signing in 2001, switching from Derby for £4m. How was the expectation?

Everyone was looking at me to be the one, but I was playing right-back. It was tough at first, then when Gordon Strachan took over, I found myself out of the team. He saw me playing in a different position - Gordon put me in midfield and I ended up playing 400 games there, so he knew something!

You signed for Sunderland midway through the season when they would finish bottom of the Premier League with a then record low 15 points, before heading to Stoke on loan...