Aside from Sir Alex Ferguson, they are now the most eminent British managers in the Premier League and viewed by many as the two most likely to succeed the knight of Old Trafford. Yet 15 years ago David Moyes and Martin O’Neill went to Wembley intent on a less grandiose prize, a place in the third tier of the English game.

If Preston North End captain Moyes appears concerned, that’s understandable. Seven years earlier he had played there for Bristol City against Mansfield in the Freight Rover Trophy final and missed the decisive spot kick in a penalty shootout.

Wycombe Wanderers manager O’Neill seems to exude quiet confidence, though he readily admits: “You never get used to going to Wembley because it’s always very special.” Wycombe were Football League new boys, having gained promotion from the Conference in 1993, but won the Division Three playoff final 4-2.

“That day is one of my dearest memories in football,” says O’Neill. “We played brilliantly, producing some great, great football. Preston were a real handful but after trailing 2-1 at half-time, we came out for the second half with renewed vigour.

“Simon Garner, who was very much a veteran after playing nearly 500 games for Blackburn, scored a great equaliser and then Dave Carroll, who spent 14 seasons with the club as a player, scored what must have been one of the greatest goals seen at the old stadium.”

Moyes views the match as an important part of his managerial education. “At the time I knew I wanted to go into coaching and management so I studied the way Martin went about things,” he says. “Every time I faced a manager who clearly had something about him, I was determined to take something away from the match and it was clear Martin generated such great team spirit.”

To a man the Wycombe team agree with Moyes’ assessment. “We all knew Martin would go on to become one of the game’s really top managers,” says goalkeeper Paul Hyde. “He had a great rapport with the players.”

Steve Thompson, another of Wycombe’s goalscorers in the playoff final, says: “He didn’t shout or rant but managed to make his point. I remember once he came up to me at half-time and said quietly, ‘Tommo, you are everywhere the ball has just been’. What a gentle way to rollick somebody. I played much better in the second half.”

1 David Moyes

After making 24 appearances in three years at Celtic, he played for Cambridge United, Bristol City, Shrewsbury, Dunfermline and Hamilton Academical before arriving at Preston the previous September. He became a coach and then assistant manager to Gary Peters at Deepdale before taking control in 1998. Four years later he succeeded Walter Smith at Everton. This month he will walk out at the new Wembley for the FA Cup final against Chelsea.

2 Steve Woods

A signing from Clydebank, the goalkeeper spent only a year at Preston before returning to Scotland with Motherwell, St Mirren and Livingston. He was coach at Dunfermline and moved to the Celtic youth academy last year.