'I only went to watch Portsmouth train - instead Alan Ball signed me': Ex-Derby man Darryl Powell on the greatest career break you'll ever hear

The midfielder would make 170 appearances for home-town club Pompey, spend six-and-a-half years in the Premier League and also represent Jamaica in the 1998 World Cup finals in France.

Yet his beginnings can be traced back to when, as a 13-year-old, he cycled from Buckland with best friend Asa Owen to watch the Blues’ schoolboys train at Alexandra Park.

According to Powell in new book Played Up Pompey Four, youth-team manager Ball noticed the youngster taking in the training session, so asked him if he wanted to join in.

He was invited to return the following week, with manager Bobby Campbell now in attendance, and soon the talented midfielder was on the Fratton Park books.

Inevitably Powell speaks highly of ‘genius’ Ball for presenting him with one of the more unusual entrances into professional football.

‘It was my best friend’s Asa Owen’s idea - he had heard Alan Ball was taking training for Pompey’s schoolboys at Alexandra Park on that Thursday night,’ Powell told Played Up Pompey Four.

‘Asa was from my estate in Buckland and it’s funny to think his suggestion would lead to a football career which saw me make 170 appearances for my home-town club, spend six-and-a-half years in the Premier League and feature in the 1998 World Cup finals in France.

‘I was aged 13 and barely eight months earlier had stopped training at Pompey as I wasn’t enjoying it. This was Alan Ball, though. “The real Alan Ball? The World Cup one?” I replied to Asa, and we hopped on our bikes and rode down there to watch. I was a kid, I loved football, so naturally I went along wearing boots and shin pads.

‘The pair of us stood by the side of the pitch inside the cage, watching the Blues’ youth-team manager coach the kids, thinking “I’m better than him, I’m better than him too”. Noticing us, Bally called to me: “Do you want to join in?”.

‘Of course I did and responded with “Yeah, all right”. He replied: “It’s not ‘Yeah all right’. This is football son. It’s yes or no”. “Go on then”. To be honest, I did really well and afterwards he called me over: “You make sure you’re back here next week - and I’m going to call you Cyrille”. At the time, Cyrille Regis was the main man and it’s a nickname which stuck throughout my Pompey career.

‘The following week I turned up once more, only this time I was invited, and everyone from the club was there, and I mean everyone, including the first-team manager Bobby Campbell. I performed again, I was in my element, and afterwards Bally turned to them and said: “I told you… I told you I’ve found a good one here”.

‘He wanted to meet my parents, although my dad wasn’t living with us, so this England World Cup winner turned up at a Buckland house and told my mum: “Mrs Powell, don’t worry about your lad, he’s going to be a football player. Any problems, just call me”. And that was it. Amazing.

‘I’ve often wondered what made him ask me to train that day. I was tall, skinny and athletic, so perhaps I simply looked the part. Asa was the opposite, he was fat at the time and couldn’t run but was able to pass a ball. While I joined in with training, he continued to watch.

‘Alan Ball was a genius with youngsters, we were keen, impressionable, we wanted to play football and here was this amazing man trying to make us better.

‘The reason why we had such a brilliant crop of young players which emerged during that era was down to him, with subsequent youth-team managers and coaches simply picking up the great work he set into motion.

‘Micky Ross, Andy Awford and Michael Turner were in my group and invited to Lilleshall after being recognised as being among the best 16 kids in the country - and that had to be down to Bally.’

Powell left Fratton for Derby in July 1995, reuniting with Jim Smith, and won promotion to the Premier League in his first season.

He spent six years with the Rams in the top flight, before later turning out for Birmingham, Sheffield Wednesday, Colorado Rapids and Nottingham Forest.

Powell added: ‘I always say Alan Ball made the biggest impact on my football career. I know it’s crazy because Jim Smith played me a lot at Pompey, then signed me at Derby County and made me captain. Yet while I had a really good relationship with him, Bally initially got me into the building.

‘First and foremost, you need to have the ability and, if you’ve got that, you then need the pathway - and that’s what Alan Ball provided me with.’

Played Up Pompey Four is priced £18.99 and available from the Pompey Store and Waterstone’s in Portsmouth, Fareham, Chichester, Petersfield and Whiteley.

It can also be ordered online from Amazon. For player-autographed copies, email [email protected]

Played Up Pompey (paperback) and Played Up Pompey Three are also still available - email [email protected]