Jon Daly and his Dundee United team-mates who tasted Scottish Cup glory on May 15, 2010, will treasure the memories for the rest of their lives.
The big Irishman hung up his boots last weekend after playing for Raith Rovers against Hibs and is now working in a coaching role at Hearts.
Daly, who also played for Stockport, Hartlepool and Rangers, admits the Tynecastle job was just too good to turn down especially as the man instrumental in him making the move, Hearts director of football Craig Levein, was also responsible for bringing him to Tannadice when he was United manager.
The 33-year-old said joining the Tangerines was one of the best things he ever did and he enjoyed six great years at the club with the undoubted highlight being that unforgettable day at Hampden with United beating Ross County 3-0 thanks to a David Goodwillie goal and a double from Craig Conway.
Daly shared a hotel room with the two-goal hero the night before the game and he joked that an inspirational chat he had with his team-mate proved key.
And he also admitted he first felt United’s name might be destined to be inscribed on the famous old trophy when First Division Ross County stunned Celtic, winning 2-0 in the first semi-final the day before the Tangerines met Raith Rovers in the second.
He said: “There is the old cliche of taking it one game at a time or when you win the semi-final but I think it happened when Celtic were beaten by Ross County.
“That was the big one as you kind of felt before the semi-final, if we won our game we would probably be playing Celtic and it would be a tough match.
“But seeing Ross County knocking Celtic out, we thought we had a great chance of winning the cup if we could beat two First Division sides.
“We knew they would be difficult games, which they were, but we were aware if we went in with the right attitude, we had very good quality in the squad that could hurt both sides.
“Thankfully, that’s the way it worked out.
“I remember the night before the final, I was rooming with Craig Conway.
“We were just chatting about the game and saying how good it would be to score the goal that won the cup and obviously he went on and scored two!
“I would like to say it was my inspirational chat with him before the game that spurred him on to get the two goals.
“Thankfully, we both slept well that evening dreaming about winning the cup.”
After the triumph at Hampden, United fans and players celebrated long into the night and then the following day there was an open-top bus parade followed by a civic reception with the supporters packing out the Dundee city square.
Daly admitted it is only now that he realises just how special the cup-winning achievement was, even if his recollections of the celebrations that followed are a little hazy.
He smiled and said: “I don’t really remember them.
“Seriously, it was great. You look back now and realise how difficult it is to win a cup.
“United have been to a couple of cup finals since then and been unsuccessful and I think that makes you appreciate it more what we did.
“It is not every year you get to win trophies and medals.
“It is tough to do and it was a great achievement by the boys and all the staff who were involved in it.
“I am sure it is something we will all treasure for the rest of our lives.
“The medal’s framed and sits in pride of place in my house.”
If the cup triumph was the high point of Daly’s time with the Tangerines, then the lows were the serious injuries he sustained while at the club.
However, while he would obviously have preferred not to have suffered them at all, he used the time spent recovering to learn more about the game and he is convinced the whole experience made him a stronger person mentally.
He said: “I did my posterior cruciate which was a nightmare to come back from.
“I also did my ankle and then my knee again.
“It obviously hampers you and holds you back but I just used the time when I was out to make myself stronger in areas where I hadn’t developed properly in terms of physicality.
“I wanted to make myself stronger and I felt I did that. I came back stronger each time.
“I also tried to watch a lot of games. Obviously it is frustrating when you can’t play but it is a good opportunity to sit and watch games.
“I would just study the opposition and see what I could do in certain situations as a player.
Daly added: “It gives you a different picture of the game and it makes you realise you might have more time than you would have anticipated.
“So I felt like I came back each time probably better than I was before I got injured.
“You also have to be mentally tough.
“I am not going to lie, there are days when you feel down in the dumps and that’s when your team-mates, my wife and my family back home give you the inspiration you need to dig deep and carry on.
“It is tough but you have to put yourself in other people’s shoes as well.
“There are people in worse-off positions to you so you just have to get on with it, keep your head down and work hard.
“You know there will be light at the end of the tunnel and you will get there eventually.
“It takes time but you know if you work hard, it will be worth it in the end.”