His cultured left foot played a major part in a season of promotion and Wembley glory.
And Owen Archdeacon was back on familiar ground when he returned to Brunton Park this week.
Carlisle United's former left wing-back, who starred in the 1996/97 season, was a special guest at Tuesday's game between the Blues and another of his former clubs, Barnsley.
Archdeacon, now 58, was a guest in Brunton Park's bars and lounges before the game, and at half-time in the 3-2 defeat he came onto the pitch to perform the Golden Gamble draw.
His appearance brought back memories of a successful period at Carlisle in the 1990s.
The former Celtic man joined United from Barnsley in the summer of 1996 following the Blues' relegation to the fourth tier.
He went on to become a pivotal figure in Mervyn Day's team as the manager utilised a new wing-back system.
Archdeacon was also a consistent provider of goals and scored six in the league, two in the FA Cup and one in the League Cup in 1996/97 - among them a memorable winner against second-tier Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup.
He also chipped in crucially during the Blues' run to Wembley in the Auto-Windscreens Shield.
His four goals in that run included two in the northern final first leg 2-0 victory over Stockport County which ultimately earned United a place in the final.
Archdeacon went on to have a penalty saved in the shoot-out against Colchester United under the Twin Towers but Carlisle came out on top to win at the national stadium for the first time.
The Greenock-born player was an ever-present as Day's side bounced back to promotion from Division Three in third place. He started the following third-tier campaign in the Blues side and had made 58 league appearances in total for the Cumbrians before his departure to Morton in November 1997.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here