Nottingham Forest legend Roy Keane has revealed that he drank 'six or seven pints' the night before making his debut under Brian Clough after his enigmatic former boss sprung the surprise on him at the last minute.
Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Keane told of how a reserve team night out just hours before the Reds were set to head north to face Liverpool almost haunted him at Anfield.
Keane had no inkling that he was about to be thrown in at the deep end upon his arrival in England and was only informed that he would be facing the League champions the morning after heavy night on the town.
"Forest had played their first league game at home on the Saturday, against QPR and I went to watch it, and I was on the bench for the reserves on the Monday night," he said.
"I got on for the last ten minutes and the first-team were playing Liverpool on the Tuesday night.
"I went out that night with the players, as you do after a reserve match. I didn't drink too much - maybe six, seven pints after the game.
"What Brian Clough did a lot of the time, for the younger players, bring you with the first-team just as an experience. Carry the skips, help the kitman, so I went up [and] met some of the players in the hotel.
"I was putting the gear out with the kitman and Brian Clough says 'what are you doing' and I said I was putting the gear out - he says 'no no, put that top on'."
The Reds were beaten 2-0 at Anfield that day on their way to an eight placed finish in the old First Division.
But the game proved to be a defining one in Keane's career as Clough's wisdom started to rub off on the young Irishman.
After leaving Forest, Keane would go on to become a Premier League legend with Manchester United before returning to the City Ground as the club's assistant manager under Martin O'Neill.
"[Clough] gave me a bit of advice before the game which I've basically made a career out of," Keane continued.
"He said: 'I've seen your pre-season, you can control the ball, you can pass it and you can move'.
"He just told me to just do, and that was my career in a nutshell.
He added: "You would think that all professional footballers can do those three things but a lot can't."
