Younes Kaboul was just a teenager when he first remembers Mauricio Pochettino, his new manager at Tottenham.
The defender was a fresh-faced 15-year-old at Auxerre’s academy, working as a ball-boy as part of his duties in a league match against Paris Saint-Germain.
The game was at Auxerre’s Stade l’Abbe-Deschamps stadium on the banks of the Yonne River, in August 2001.
Mauricio Pochettino in his PSG days with Mikel Arteta (left), who now plies his trade with Spurs rivals Woolwich
Pochettino (centre) parts Argentina's Kily Gonzales (right) and German Jens Jeremies (left) in a 2002 friendly
There was a buzz in the air with Ronaldinho – this exotic star from Brazil who had just made a €5million move from Gremio – set to make his debut.
He did make an appearance from the bench for the final 30 minutes, but it was defender Pochettino’s rasping right-footed volley which remains most vivid in Kaboul’s memory.
‘I remember it like it was yesterday and now he is my manager,’ Kaboul explained.
Kaboul reminded his new boss of that moment he witnessed, stood just behind the goal, when he joined the club from Southampton this summer.
‘He remembered this goal,’ he said. ‘It was not long ago when you think about it and now he is my manager. I am very, very proud.’
Tottenham captain Younes Kaboul celebrates Christian Eriksen's goal at White Hart lane on Sunday
The defender made 52 appearances for Auxerre between 2004 and 2007 before his first move to Spurs
That conversation must have taken Pochettino back. But most of his recollections rarely involve goals.
Pochettino forged his career as a defender – playing in the centre and at right-back – at clubs in his native Argentina, Spain and France.
Internationally the pinnacle was playing in the 2002 World Cup, where he famously tripped Michael Owen to conceded a penalty which helped England progress, at their expense.
Although, like that occasion, his experiences were not all good, he has a great wealth of them to pass on to his Spurs defenders.
Pochettino's trip on Michael Owen led to the penalty which helped England progress in the 2002 World Cup
The defender held no prisoners, as England's David Beckham finds out in this international against Argentina
After some strong defensive displays Tottenham now sit sixth in the Premier League table
Defensively the season started well, the side keeping three clean sheets in their opening four games, against West Ham, QPR and AEL Limassol in the Europa League.
That early form had started to wane, but a 1-1 draw away to rivals Woolwich and 1-0 win against Pochettino’s former club Southampton on Sunday were accompanied by solid defensive displays.
‘Mauricio was a top defender first of all,’ Kaboul, who Pochettino has picked as his club captain, added. ‘A very classy defender.
‘We learn a lot from him because he has got experience at this level and we try to put in the game everything he has taught us.
‘He is helping us to read the game, to read the game properly and to anticipate stuff. I think we have applied this already during the games.’
