Having long tracked the progress of Maccabi Haifa’s Eyal Berkovic, Graeme Souness took his time to decide that the Israel international was ready to execute his balletic skills within the cauldron of the Premiership’s midfield. Once Souness took the plunge,

Berkovic wasted no time in proving how ready he was, dazzling with his quick feet – the quickest ever seen at The Dell, according to Lawrie McMenemy – and an ever-alert eye for a telling, defence-splitting pass.

Those talents were thrillingly demonstrated in his second start, when Manchester United’s defence was undone by Eyal’s uncanny knack of finding his fellow-newcomer, Egil Ostenstad. He also scored twice in the Saints’ 6-3 home win, prompting the visiting manager,

Alex Ferguson, to note, in his diary, that Berkovic “looks a quality player, is difficult to pin down.”

Eyal would score only twice more for the Saints, but the sight of him repeatedly threading the ball into Østenstad’s stride is an image that will surely remain with those who witnessed that Souness season. He had signed on a 12-month loan, with an option to buy, but he had, conversely, an option to leave if he was not happy at the end of that season. When Souness went, Berkovic exercised his option. Harry Redknapp, who had been impressed by his performance against West Ham at The Dell, pounced to take him to Upton Park.

Eyal would keep moving, never staying anywhere for as long as three years. That itinerant tendency has been variously attributed to a faint heart and a quick temper. Incidents cited in support of his suspect temperament include the West Ham training ground incident in which John Hartson notoriously kicked him in the mouth, his public spat with Manchester City manager, Kevin Keegan, and – ultimately, in 2007 – a fracas with the coach of a schoolboy team, when his son was substituted. A sad epitaph for a magical midfielder who played 82 times for Israel. His first stab as a manager, at Maccabi Netanya, lasted all of two months after he fell out with the owner which was also the reason he left Hapoel Tel Aviv after less than a year. In May 2015 he became an owner himself when he purchased Hapoel Rishon Le Zion who play in the Israeli second tier.