Barry Johnston has recalled how Packie McAllister once helped him recover from a broken leg - by flying into the former midfielder in a crunching 50-50 tackle.
Johnston required nine screws and a plate after breaking his leg during a 7-a-side game in England back in 2000.
It saw the then 17-year-old undergo a lengthy period of rehabilitation and recovery before eventually returning for Cliftonville Reserves several months later.
But rather then easing himself back into action, Johnston has revealed how Irish League hard-man McAllister adopted his own recovery method to prove the teenager's leg had healed properly.
"It was my first game back for Cliftonville Reserves and it was against Coleraine," Johnston said.
"Coleraine's first-team game had been called off, so Quinner (Marty Quinn) picked most of his senior players to play so they could get a game in. Back then there was no limit on how many first-team players could feature in a reserve game.
"So I walk out and there are players like Packie McAllister, Jody Toland, who was at Coleraine then, Ian McCoosh, Stephen Beattie, Sean Armstrong and Tony Gorman.
"I was like, 'is this is a first-team game or what?', looking around these Coleraine players."
And Johnston admits it didn't take long for McAllister to make his mark.
"I had watched Packie play for Cliftonville when I was a kid, so I knew all about him," Johnston added.
"I remember there were a couple of minutes gone, and Packie hits me a 50-50. Imagine that, Packie absolutely blattering me.
"But to be fair he helped me up and says 'that will do you the world of good, wee man. Now up you get'.
"And he was right, given the the psychological thing of me breaking my leg and then coming back. I don't think Packie was being overly nice in doing it, but he did it anyway.
"I just thought, if Packie didn't break it, then it mustn't be that bad. And away we went."
The pair - who are now on the management team at St James' Swifts - would later play together at Coleraine.
Johnston even inherited McAllister's number 10 jersey when he left the Bannsiders.
"I asked for his number 10 at the start of the season," Johnston added.
"I was a wee mouthpiece on the pitch and was always complaining to the ref over any decisions that didn't go our way.
"I remember one match when Davy Malcolm was in charge. Davy was a brilliant referee who talked to the players.
"I remember in this game I was mouthing off, and Davy comes over and just says, 'Excuse me, son. You may have asked for Packie McAllister's number but it doesn't mean you have to carry on like him'.
"And he was right."
Listen to more from Barry Johnston on last week's That's What I Call Football podcast below:
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