Kevin Doherty's journey: From Liverpool under Houllier to the underdog at the Aviva 

Doherty is the 44-year-old manager who’ll lead his team out before an estimated crowd of over 40,000 for Sunday’s FAI Cup final.

CUP CHANCE: Drogheda United manager Kevin Doherty. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

He brands it his sliding doors moment, the 1999 friendly when pain and anger couldn’t be disguised by hallucinations and the first person he saw amid the haze was Arsene Wenger.

Kevin Doherty was the centre-back at Liverpool that Gérard Houllier had earmarked for first-team progression, the one too Brian Kerr had inscribed as a bedrock for his upcoming Euro U18 finals.