Former Watford defender Terry Mancini reflects on his rise through the youth ranks and five years in the Hornets first-team after a chance meeting with the current squad during their training camp in Spain last month…

Terry Mancini felt a sting of nostalgia when, as he sat in the La Finca Resort restaurant in Algorfa, Spain, the current Watford first-team squad entered the hotel to check in for a week’s training camp during the World Cup break.

The former Golden Boy, who began his career at Vicarage Road before enjoying two successful decades in the game with the likes of Arsenal, Queens Park Rangers and Leyton Orient, was at the same hotel by complete coincidence, and was spotted 60 years on from his time with the Hornets by long-serving club photographer Alan Cozzi.

Reflecting on his formative years playing under Ron Burgess, Bill McGarry and Ken Furphy, Mancini’s fondest memories in a Watford shirt came in the youth side of the early 1960s, including an unforgettable tour to the Netherlands that kickstarted his career.

“Watford was where I started,” the former defender reminisced. “I started in the youth team and enjoyed it immensely, I loved playing the games. I travelled everywhere by train and bus and used to train on Tuesday and Thursday nights in the youth team. I was delighted, I would get home at midnight and loved playing the game.

“At the end of my last season as a youth player we played in a tournament in Amsterdam, which Real Madrid played in as well! I was billeted in and won the chance to travel around in an American car which at the time wasn’t common, and an amazing experience.

“The following day we were driving into the first game, and I was in a great big Cadillac while everyone else rode in on their bikes. I wound the window down and waved at the goalkeeper as we drove past! I was always very lucky, I fell on my feet wherever I went.”

Thanks to some of Mancini’s luck, as well as plenty of hard work and talent, the underdogs pulled off an upset in Amsterdam, beating Los Blancos and Ajax in the process.

“We won the tournament, which was a big surprise - we were just making up the numbers,” continued Mancini. “I played full-back, but after the first game the centre-back got injured so I was moved there and did quite well, and I stayed there for my whole career.

“Watford staged a dinner for us when we returned, and Ron Burgess pulled me aside and told me he’d like to sign me as a pro. I had to ask my mum first!”

Going on to play 76 times over five seasons at Vicarage Road, Mancini played alongside Watford legends including Vincent McNeice, Duncan Welbourne and close friend Pat Jennings.

“Pat Jennings is my oldest mate in football, he came to Watford at 17 and was straight in the first-team,” Mancini said. “It was unheard of, especially back then. He only had one season with us before Bill Nicks signed him for Spurs.

“Watford had a centre-half playing for them then, a very good player and a nice guy called Vince McNeice, a great player. He deserved to play in a higher league than the third division, but didn’t put his foot in like you were supposed to in those days.

“I ended up getting a free transfer from Watford in 1966, and when you were a free agent the FA would send your information around the world to clubs. I ended up getting a phone call from Matthew Crowe, who had managed Norwich. He called from South Africa, asking to sign me for two years.”

Mancini’s career took many interesting and memorable turns, seeing out his contract at Port Elizabeth City and returning to London to join Leyton Orient, where he made over 150 appearances. Staying in the capital for a decade with Arsenal and QPR, before heading to the Los Angeles Aztecs, Mancini became a Republic of Ireland international in strange circumstances.

“I didn’t realise I qualified for Ireland through my father, who died when I was young,” explained the now 80-year-old. “I was born in Camden Town so I thought I could only play for England!

“I was selected in the Ireland squad for a Sunday game against Poland, and played the day before against Wolverhampton Wanderers. We flew over on Saturday evening, played an international game the following afternoon and I was straight in to start at centre-half!

“The national anthems played in Dublin, and I turned to Don Givens and said, ‘Their anthem is going on forever’, to which Don replied, ‘That’s ours!’

“We played Brazil at the Maracanã Stadium. They beat us 2-1, Pelé didn’t score but I scored our goal.

“A few years later I played against him twice in America. He came to LA, and we beat the Cosmos 3-1 at the LA Coliseum and I scored again! I ran past him and said, ‘Where were you then?’, but I didn’t think he heard.

“We played them three weeks later in New York and they beat us 5-2, and as he turned out of the box after scoring a hat-trick he looked at me and said, ‘Where were you then?!’”

Remaining in football as a coach at Fulham for a few years, Mancini left the game in the 1980s, returning to full-time work in the family pub in west London and later working in travel. He now leads golf events with former players around the world, including in Algorfa, their flagship location. He still keeps a fond eye out for his former clubs, and visited Vicarage Road alongside Jennings, who he still keeps in regular touch with today.