Memory lapses have cost Rio Ferdinand dear in the past but there was no way he was going to forget this appointment: a chance to meet a true great, not just one of the best but arguably the very best.

I can understand top players being star-struck and I don’t think it’s strange. Like anyone else, footballers feel honoured and excited to be in the presence of greatness.

And imagine the kick you’d get if you were Ferdinand, or Gerrard, or whoever, and Maradona told you to your face that he rated you as a player.

The likes of Gerrard and Ferdinand are far bigger names than me, but I’ve experienced similar emotions. I was a kid who went from playing for Gillingham to lining up for Ireland alongside Liam Brady, something that made me want to pinch myself.

I played with Zinédine Zidane, the former Real Madrid midfield player, in a French charity match soon after Euro 2000 and it was mind-blowing. Sitting in the dressing-room beforehand, I wondered how I could go up and ask him for his autograph without looking like an idiot. Sod it, I thought – just do it. I might never see him again, this is my chance.

I watched Zidane to see what his prematch routine was like. He didn’t do or say much, but he had an aura. When he set me up for a goal and came over to congratulate me, one of my first thoughts was: I hope someone’s getting photos of this - me and Zidane, hugging. I was gutted that no one did.

Hopefully, the Liverpool and Manchester United players will take away more than purely personal satisfaction from meeting an idol – it would be good if the experience reminded them what pleasure they bring to their own fans when they sign an autograph or pose for a picture.