Swain didn't answer, although he saw Saunders a few more times in the future, but the pressing issue became that evening in Rotterdam.

Villa were the underdogs, while Bayern already had three European Cups under their belt and few gave Barton's boys a chance.

“There was a focus and a belief that you had to be special to beat us,” said Swain, who left a few months after the win to join Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest.

“Personally, I felt at my peak. We were so hard to beat and so well prepared for these games. After Ron left, the focus, consistency, spirit and belief didn’t change at all.”

“They scared me a few times, but I still remember a moment to our left. They managed to get a cross in and because I was moving towards our goal I ended up just outside the six-yard box.”

“This ball flew over me and I saw Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – he looked like an acrobat. He jumped and did this overhead kick. I just saw it fly past the post and Nigel and I looked at each other and thought, 'That's different sauce.'”

Nevertheless, Villa persisted in writing their name into the history books.

Spink said: “It was incredible because it was almost impossible to comprehend what we had just achieved.”

“I remember looking and Bayern were completely shocked. They all sat in the square completely stunned.”

Swain agrees, having also stumbled upon Bayern's dejected dressing room on the way out of De Kuip.

“Considering the magnitude of the occasion and the achievement, I walked down the hallway and the Munich dressing room door was ajar,” he said.

“I could see there was someone else in there and there were jerseys and socks on the locker room floor. It was Rummenigge and the captain (Paul Breitner) sitting together with their heads in their arms and looking down.”

“They both looked up in shock, so I said, 'Hello, good luck – maybe see you next year,' and they were absolutely distraught. They were two of the leading players in Europe.”

“I open the door harmlessly and then see these two sitting there, just these two big Munich stars.

“This success will go down in the history books and can never disappear. While you still enjoy life on this earth, it is incredible for the club and every player. It was a moment to enjoy.”