Allback explains: “England and Italy are the most opposite countries you can find [for football]. In England it is physical but still fair, in Italy it is physical and far from fair, not my way of playing I am not saying that because I didn’t succeed as a scorer. I started 15 games but failed to score, so they told me there was no need to continue. You can be doing everything right and then the guy who plays next to you, standing there picking his nose for 89 minutes, scores and is made man of the match.

In Italy they only want you to score.”In most other countries, too, as a matter of fact. So Holland, Allback’s next stop in Europe with Ruud van Nistelrooy’s old club, Heerenveen, was considerably less bleak. “Holland has more similarity to England because they not only appreciate it if you score, but other things too. But it was the same there as when you go to a club – here comes a new guy and he is going to score. I started to score, had a great time there and also became a regular in my national team.”But the desire for English football never slackened. “During my last few months in the Dutch league I tried to put it aside and told everyone it was not a problem, but it was lying there and growing. So when The Chief came in for me he didn’t have to persuade me.

I got a great feeling as soon as I heard Villa were interested.”Allback’s compatriot and Villa defender Olof Mellberg also put in his two pennyworth, but Marcus claims it made no difference. “Even if Olof had suggested I look at other options, this felt the club for me. My intention was to come to a club exactly like this, one that was not top three, because that wouldn’t give me much opportunity to play, but also not a team that is ending up around 15th place all the time. For me, this is the perfect team and the perfect challenge.”Allback, his partner, Suzanne, and daughter have just moved into a house at Sutton Coldfield, and he describes Birmingham as “great”, while conceding it will not exactly further his spare-time passion, sailing He has been delighted by the welcome at the club. “The other players took me in directly as one of the lads.”And he is not concerned about criticisms from departing players that Villa lack ambition “I have been here a month and everything has been great.

As far as I am concerned, it is time for me to try my wings in the best league in Europe.” Spain, he says, has the next best league Italy don’t get a mention.. As summer dawned, Bruno Cheyrou was a promising, but inexperienced, midfielder plying his trade for an unfancied French club. Two months and a £5m move to the Premiership later, the young Frenchman now finds himself in the national squad for the first time. “Do you think the name Liverpool had anything to do with it?” he jokes.