Joe Allen was barely out of primary school when word got around about a midfielder from Pembrokeshire making a big impression in Swansea City's academy.
A quarter of century later, Allen has called time on a career which will see him remembered as one of Wales' finest footballers.
Having been hailed as a star in the making from a very early age, Allen has fulfilled his potential.
He retires aged 35, having played at three major tournaments for Wales and racked up nearly 600 club appearances for Swansea – across two spells – Liverpool, Stoke City and Wrexham, where he had a brief spell on loan as a teenager.