Gary Rowell: Club legend Martin Harvey was a massive influence on me being able to fulfill my Sunderland dreams

Martin was a mainstay in the team during the 60s and early 70s, playing a major role in that famous team that won promotion in the early 60s alongside the likes of Monty and Charlie Hurley.

That really was some team and they are still loved by fans who were around at the time, probably second only in popularity to the 1973 FA Cup winning team.

What I remember from when I was young and just starting to go to Roker Park to watch my heroes was Martin Harvey always seemed to have time, always the sign of a good player.

He also had great distribution and an immense sliding tackle back in the days when you could tackle and because of his intelligent reading of the game and timing, that sliding tackle saved Sunderland on many an occasion.

However, it was as a coach when I got to know him personally, when he was working with the younger players after his playing career was cut short by injury and he was every bit as good in that role as he was on the pitch.

He helped me enormously, he was a massive influence on me being able to fulfill my ambition of playing for Sunderland but he also installed in us youngsters how to conduct ourselves off the pitch as well, he was a great role model.

A young Martin Harvey made his way from Northern Ireland to Wearside all those years ago and certainly left his mark but then he helped others achieve their dreams, I was one of them and will always be grateful.