Before last Friday, James Akintunde and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe last played a competitive game together when they were 10.
Every summer, the boyhood friends from Thamesmead in London would meet up for an informal training camp to get ready for the next season.
The camp was something they started with Tobi Sho-Silva, who won promotion to League Two with Sutton two months ago.
Until Covid prevented it happening last summer, between 20 and 30 players would turn up on an annual basis.
Akintunde and Junior also played five-a-side together when they could and it was the latter who recommended Derry as a club last August, after he had left for Israel.
While with Derry, Junior had topped the League's goalscoring charts in 2019.
He returned to Ireland last summer, when he joined Sligo, moved to Dundalk in February and then re-joined the Candystripes last week and the friends started together for the first time in the 2-0 win over Waterford.
"It's crazy we're back together," said Akintunde.
"We had always said it would be nice to play on the same team, but never thought it would happen. For him to join in this window is exciting.
"I know Junior like a brother, even outside of football. He lived two minutes down the road when I was growing up and it's definitely uplifting to have someone who is close to you here in Derry.
"I had obviously kept in touch with him when he was here first and he scored quite a few goals that year."
Akintude has scored five League goals for Derry this term, but it is the striker's work ethic and positivity that City boss Ruaidhri Higgins highlighted when an 18-month contract extension for the 25-year-old was announced last week.
"I just have to give 100% on the pitch," he said.
"I have to leave everything out there - I won't be happy if I come off and still have some energy left, even if I don't get through the full 90 minutes.
"I've always felt like that. It's the number one thing you should give. You're not always going to have a good performance, but at least you can give 100%."
He smiled: "And I'm a happy guy - growing up, I was always the joker. But there's a good vibe here at the club. Obviously that's not the case at every club, but we're close and together and it's a good place to be."
Naturally, the arrival of Junior ups the ante in terms of competition up front.
"There's always competition, it's a healthy competition," he said.
"We played together last week and the team got a good result, but it was down to the team as a whole.
"Even if I'm not playing and he's playing, it's about the result at the end of the day and there'll be no bad blood whatsoever."
Derry are unbeaten in nine of their last 10 games and moved above Dundalk into sixth last week. Playing title chasing St Pat's tonight will be a test of how much they have improved under Higgins.
"This League is tough and St Pat's are a really good side," said Akintunde.
"But we're more confident now against them than we were at the start of the season, we're a few months together now and feel more confident as a team."
