Willie McFaul played for his country, won trophies with Linfield and Newcastle and was in goal for the Magpies when Ronnie Radford scored that famous and stunning FA Cup strike for Hereford, creating one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history.
McFaul also managed his beloved Newcastle and his home town club Coleraine.
And then there was Guam - with a population of 180,000.
He was only supposed to be in charge for 12 months of this new affiliated nation to Fifa, but they liked him so much on the tiny Pacific island that he stayed for FIVE years, eventually leaving in 2003.
Without question it was the most surreal experience of the 70-year-old's eventful football career, yet strangely rewarding, and this even though playing under McFaul in World Cup qualifiers for the first time Guam suffered a 19-0 defeat in Iran and a few days later lost 16-0 to Tajikistan!
Willie McFaul: "It wasn't easy. Guam was a very, very small island.
"I remember my first training session and just seven players turned up, but we worked hard and as time went by the numbers increased and the boys responded.
"We were involved in World Cup groups against far bigger nations which we just weren't geared up for. I said it over there at the time because we were not at that level and there were heavy defeats.
"The team did improve though. They weren't top notch or anything like that, but were a lot better by the time I'd left which was really pleasing.
"Now Guam are in the regionalised qualifying and not taking on much bigger nations.
"They are playing teams around their own level which is good for them. They also have a new stadium which helps and I hope they continue to move forward.
"The local people were very good to me and my wife. It is an American territory and there were big air force and naval bases there. It was an interesting time in my life."
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday November 3015:00 Aston Villa v Sunderland 15:00 Cardiff City v Arsenal 15:00 Everton v Stoke City 15:00 Norwich City v Crystal Palace 15:00 West Ham United v Fulham 17:30 Newcastle United v West Brom
Sunday December 112:00 Tottenham v Man Utd 14:05 Hull City v Liverpool 16:10 Chelsea v Southampton 16:10 Manchester City v Swansea City
Tuesday December 320:00 Crystal Palace v West Ham United
Wednesday December 419:45 Arsenal v Hull City19:45 Liverpool v Norwich City19:45 Man Utd v Everton19:45 Southampton v Aston Villa19:45 Stoke City v Cardiff City19:45 Sunderland v Chelsea 19:45 Swansea City v Newcastle United20:00 Fulham v Tottenham20:00 West Brom v Manchester City
Source: Newcastle United Mad
Source: FOOTYMAD
