Neil Sullivan's path to international football was anything but ordinary. The former Wimbledon goalkeeper did not earn his place in Craig Brown's Scotland squad through performances alone — a casual remark at a sponsorship event, overheard by a reporter from this very magazine, played a decisive role.

Sullivan went on to win 28 caps for Scotland and was part of the squad that travelled to the 1998 World Cup in France. He insists the story behind his call-up is no myth.

The chance encounter that changed everything

"Yeah, 100 per cent true," Sullivan told FourFourTwo when asked whether the magazine genuinely helped him break into Brown's squad in 1997. The goalkeeper was attending a promotional event on behalf of Sondico, the glove manufacturer that sponsored him at the time.

"I think David Beckham's shin pads were also sponsored by Sondico," Sullivan explained. "We were both at the same event — promoting the brand, taking photos, signing autographs for fans. No prizes for guessing whose queue was longer."

A FourFourTwo reporter was present that day. During a general conversation, Sullivan casually mentioned that he had a Scottish grandparent — a detail that found its way into the magazine's pages and, remarkably, caught the attention of Scotland manager Brown.

"He rang me up and I jumped at the chance," Sullivan recalled. He made his international debut against Wales in May 1997 and did enough to secure a place in Brown's 1998 World Cup squad.

Life at the 1998 World Cup

Sullivan travelled to France as Scotland's third-choice goalkeeper, behind Jim Leighton and Andy Goram. When Goram withdrew from the squad before the tournament began, Sullivan moved up to second choice.

"We played the opening match against Brazil, so we missed the opening ceremony — we were underneath the pitch getting ready," he said. "That feeling was pure excitement."

Sullivan described the entire experience as a highlight of his career. "It was a brilliant summer, great to be involved even in a small way and soak up the atmosphere," he said.

After Leighton stepped away from international duty in 1998, Sullivan became Scotland's first-choice goalkeeper through the Euro 2000 and 2002 World Cup qualifying campaigns — a remarkable rise for a player whose international career began with a single sentence at a glove brand's photo shoot.