Ex-Portsmouth and Ipswich winger Kevin O'Callaghan: I'll always treasure Escape to Victory and nights out with Pele, Michael Caine and Bobby Moore

Yet the footballing cast’s preference for receiving a one-off fee had financial consequences – they’ve never collected a penny of royalties from television favourite Escape to Victory since.

The popular winger was a pivotal figure in Alan Ball’s Pompey side promoted into the top-flight from Division Two in 1986-87.

In total, O’Callaghan made 105 appearances and scored 20 times during his two-and-a-half year stay on the south coast.

Yet before arriving at Fratton Park, he was among a number of Ipswich team-mates who featured in 1981 film Escape to Victory.

Interviewed in Played Up Pompey Three, he lifts the lid on an unusual summer spent on a film set in Hungary, drinking and singing songs with a guitar-playing Pele.

And with photos of himself pictured with Pele, Bobby Moore and Caine hanging on the walls of his Kent home, it’s clearly an achievement O’Callaghan is proud of.

‘Before my time at Pompey, I featured in Ipswich’s successful Uefa Cup campaign in 1980-81, although didn’t make the squad for the final against AZ Alkmaar,’ he told Played Up Pompey Three.

‘It was during those days when Bobby Robson came into the dressing room one morning and asked: “Look boys, there’s a film being made and they want players to do the football scenes. Who’s interested?”.

‘It involved three weeks in Hungary over the summer and we were able to take our wives and girlfriends – the film was Escape To Victory.

‘With foreign players in the film only able to speak in broken English, it was decided they needed some of us to take on talking parts, so I auditioned in a voice test and was cast as Allies goalkeeper Tony Lewis.

‘My role involved having my arm broken so Sylvester Stallone could be picked for the team, while I was also given a few lines.

‘My girlfriend, who would later become my wife, joined me for two of the eventual five weeks out there and I had a fantastic time. Budapest was absolutely beautiful, while I was hanging out with Pele and Bobby Moore, a dream come true for this 19-year-old!

‘Pele was such a nice fella, in-between scenes he’d join us for kickabouts, basically piggy in the middle. Even mucking around in-between shots he would do things with the ball which were amazing, although Michael Caine had no footballing ability at all – Kevin Beattie was his body double.

‘Michael was a lovely man as well. Although not a football fan, he comes from the Elephant and Castle area of London and loved it when he found out I started my career at Millwall.

‘I was very nervous about acting, but he put me at ease and I did my main scene in one take. We didn’t really mix with Stallone too much, he was all right, but the big star – and played on it a bit.

‘Whereas there were a few nights out with Pele, whose personal assistant would bring along a guitar, which Pele would play at a restaurant and, over a bottle of brandy or whisky, we’d have a sing-song.

‘We didn’t have a clue Escape To Victory would be successful.

‘We got into an argument with producer Freddie Fields having discovered some of the foreign players were on twice as much money. There were eight of us, including two or three with talking parts, and we had already filmed some scenes, so were in a good bargaining position.

‘Fields was threatening all sorts, but we ended up getting what we wanted. We were also offered royalties, yet opted to take the cash up front.

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‘We didn’t know how successful it was going to be, it must be one of the most-broadcast films ever, it’s constantly on the television. Still, the £6,000 I received was used to furnish a house in Ipswich we had just moved into.

‘The most famous scene in the film is Pele’s overhead kick for the equaliser, which I had an involvement in, despite my character being out with a broken arm!

‘The director, John Huston, told us the super slo-mo camera designated to shoot that scene cost about £5,000 a second and, with finances dictating a maximum of three or four takes, they couldn’t afford any more.

‘The move involved me pinging a crossfield pass into Bobby Moore in my old-style steel-capped boots, which he controlled on the chest, let the ball bounce and crossed it right-footed for Pele to connect with a spectacular overhead kick to score past Germany’s keeper, Laurie Sivell, who was actually my Ipswich team-mate.

‘There was no practice - it was done in one take. Pele was aged 41 at the time and still had that athleticism.

‘I’m proud of Escape To Victory. I’ve got a ball signed by Pele and the film scripts in the loft.

‘I’ve only ever watched the film once – and that was the premiere at the Gaumont Theatre in Ipswich.

‘I’ve caught bits on television over the years, although only very recently realised my name is spelt incorrectly in the credits – it says “Kevin O’Calloghan”!’

Played Up Pompey Three is priced £18.99 and available from Waterstones, the Pompey Store and The Petersfield Bookshop.

It can also be ordered online from Amazon.

For player-autographed copies, with the signatures of Benjani, Richard Hughes, Lee Bradbury or Dave Munks, email [email protected]

Meanwhile, Played Up Pompey Too remains on sale from Amazon.

MORE PLAYED UP POMPEY THREE: Niko Kranjcar – The truth is I had a love-hate relationship with Harry Redknapp

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