In July 2003, when Gordon Strachan’s squad assembled, in the aftermath of their Cup Final defeat, for pre-season training, they were joined by 18 year-old Léandre Griffit, who had had a season with Amiens in the French Second Division.

He was now a free agent, but some compensation was payable, for a player of his youth, to Amiens. Billed on the club’s website as “one for the future,” Léandre put in some composed performances for the Reserves so that, by late October, he was on the first-team bench for the visit of Blackburn. Coming on as sub with 10 minutes to go, he bent a shot past Brad Friedel – “a beautiful goal,” his manager declared, displaying “skill and ability.”

But Léandre would start only twice, before Strachan left. Paul Sturrock brought him off the bench in the last two games of 2003-04, in one of which he scored again. But the season had been a messy anti-climax to the Cup-run – not one in which a teenager could be easily blooded. Worse was to follow, of course, in 2004-05. Léandre made some sub appearances for Steve Wigley, but as Harry Redknapp brought in experience, the teenager was inevitably loaned out. His seven-year route back to France – with AS Aulnoye in 2012 – took him to Sweden and North America, but he never made a lasting impact. In 2020 he was a consultant to the MLS and Premier League.