Powell, who passed away on Thursday, was the English youth coach who inspired Sol and a golden generation of English footballers to lift the European Under-18 Championship back in 1993.

Powell led a squad including the likes of Robbie Fowler, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Campbell himself to a victory, which has yet to be paralleled by an England youth team since.

A former schoolteacher, Ted was softly-spoken and genial and seemed to know how to get the best out of young players.

That is certainly the memory that Sol has of his mentor at international level.

"We had a great side under Ted," recalled Sol, who has gone on to win 65 caps at full Senior level.

"Ted definitely knew how to get the best out of people and definitely got the best out of me – and others too.

"He wasn’t loud; he didn’t shout and holler - he had other people to do that - he was a calm head who saw the whole picture and got his point across in his own way.

"If you look at that team we had, many of us have gone on to have fantastic careers. It was the beginning for a lot of us. We’d had one or two years of youth team football but it was Ted who got us together and got us playing.

"He was a stickler for training but it was all worth it. He instilled that in me; that it’s always worth getting out there, even if it’s only for a little bit of practice. That philosophy has stayed with me and a lot of us. We were all talented but you still need to hone your skills."

Powell also played a pivotal role in coaxing the central defensive abilities out of Sol, who, at that age, was much more of a versatile performer, playing in almost every position.

Sol takes up the story: "I played a couple of times in midfield in the build-up to the Championship. And then, in a training weekend in the lead up to the tournament starting, Ted said: ‘Try centre-half for me.’ And, from then on I haven’t looked back really."

So, how will Sol remember Ted?

"He was a great guy, he knew what he wanted and achieved it in his own way.

"I still have great connections with people at Lilleshall and The FA and they had told me that Ted wasn’t well recently.

"It’s a shame to hear that he’s passed away because he was a great man but he has certainly left his mark on English football."

 

Ted Powell Fact-File

Ted was a top class amateur player in the late '60s and early '70s, being capped for both England Amateurs and the Great Britain Olympic team.

He was a wing-half for Sutton United and Wycombe Wanderers, strong in the tackle and a good passer. He later managed both clubs.

He became a prominent coach, for The FA and later at Spurs at youth level. He also had a spell as National Coach in Malawi.

His finest hour, though, was that European Championship victory with the England Under-18 side in 1993.