'I was out until 6AM the day of my Arsenal debut'

The immensely talented Pennant joined Arsenal from Notts County in 1999 for £2m despite being just 15, but his full first-team debut would not come until four years later

Roll the clock forward to 2003 and the winger made a cameo in Arsenal's 3-2 defeat to Leeds, a game that saw Manchester United secure the Premier League title.

Heading into a game against Southampton at Highbury at the tail end of that season, Pennant felt he had no chance of a start with some of Arsenal's biggest stars very much ahead of him in the pecking order, so much so that he went on a boozy bender, only to be named in the starting line-up the following day.

"I'd been out the night before and had a big night, because I really didn't think I would be playing, never mind starting the game," he revealed.

"I'd never started a game for Arsenal and I didn't think that'd change, especially as Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and Ray Parlour were all in the squad. I was guaranteed to be on the bench.

"I thought, 'Sod it', went to an FHM party and got home at around 6am. I couldn't believe it when I saw my name in the starting line-up! I was still so hungover when I was playing; I just did everything in my power not to embarrass myself.

"I can't believe I scored. It was just a huge relief – I thought, 'OK, you can take me off now. Please, Arsene!' I felt so sick and I could feel the vodka still bouncing around in my stomach. You could smell it on my breath, too.

"I did OK to score a hat-trick: it shows I had talent, though it helps when you're playing with Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira. That was the first game of Arsenal's 49-game unbeaten run."