The forgotten Pompey man now being touted for one of world football's top managerial roles

And those can recall the cigarette-puffing Gallic figure around the Blues’ Eastleigh training base, would choose not to remember much of his period of involvement at PO4.

Yet, Christophe Galtier is now one of the highly-regarded managers in world football - and is being strongly touted to be named as the new Paris St Germain boss.

Galtier spent time at Fratton Park as assistant manager to Alain Perrin, during the Frenchman’s troubled seven-and-a-half months at the helm in 2005.

Of course, the 4-1 Demolition Derby win over Southampton came on the pair’s watch, but that never-to-be-forgotten April afternoon proved to be one of just four successes from their 21 games at the club.

Perrin and Galtier worked together at Marseille, Aris, Bastia and in the United Arab Emirates, before their stint with the Blues.

They then returned to France with Sochaux and then delivered title success with Lyon, before moving to St Etienne in 2008

It was when Galtier succeeded Perrin as St Etienne boss in 2009 that his stock began to rise, as he first guided them to top-flight safety before securing European football and a French cup win for Les Verts.

A move to Lille followed in 2017 where initial survival was followed by a second-placed finish in 2019, bringing Champions League football to Stade Pierre Mauroy.

Galtier went one better last term, as he pipped PSG to the title despite the Parisian’s riches.

A move to Nice ensued, who finished fifth this season, and with his status as one of France’s top coaches firmly established it’s Galtier who’s being tipped to succeed Mauricio Pochettino along with Zinedine Zidane.

Pochettino is set to exit Parc de Prince after 18 months despite winning the French title, with Galtier the preferred choice of sporting director Luis Campos - who he knows from Lille.

PSG’s Qatari owners are hesitant about the move, however, but Nice’s director of football, Julien Fournier is calling for a quick conclusion to their interest.

He said: ‘He (Galtier) is under contract, that’s the reality. So he’s more likely to be at Nice than not to be. It’s very basic but it’s very true. After that, if Paris-Saint-Germain comes in for him it’s a decision that I obviously won’t take alone.

‘When this type of club comes to get one of your players or your coach, it’s hard to say “no”. Each passing day makes PSG’s task more difficult, because we have to move forward with next season. If they want him, they must not delay.’