It's taken all of 14 years, but finally Mick McCarthy and Louis van Gaal will be reunited on the touchline as Ipswich and Manchester United go head-to-head in tonight's Capital One Cup action.
Of course the last time the two managers pitted wits, it was a happy occasion for Ireland fans as Jason McAteer's goal at Landsowne Road proved enough to defeat Van Gaal's Netherlands and pave the way for the Boys in Green's trip to the 2002 World Cup.
Ahead of tonight's game, Big Mick has been looking back at the famous 2001 encounter and he did not hide his emotions, which seem as strong as if the game had taken place yesterday.
"I was absolutely f***ing delighted to win that one. It was a great day for me and Ireland," he said.
"We won 1-0 despite the fact we were down to 10 men for about 40 minutes. It set me up for one of the highlights of my career, managing at the World Cup. Before the game I was getting annoyed because they were booking their hotels and it was supposed to be us that were going out. I was an angry young man then and I'm more pragmatic now but I still look forward to pitting my wits against him."
He may have been an "angry young man" to use his own words, but both he and Van Gaal seemed quite calm ahead of that World Cup qualifier:
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
