Carlos Carvalhal training with Fernando Forestieri and real life Gavin and Stacey - The making of Sheffield Wednesday's George Byers

Because as the ball was rolled out to the nervous youngster, sun beating down, a Sardinian accent bouncing through the summer air and firm ground pinching through his rubber studs, the sights and sounds of what was going on around him were not those he had become accustomed to in his young football career.

George Byers had been plucked out of Watford’s youth ranks for their pre-season tour to Italy. Troy Deeney was there, as was former Arsenal stopper Manuel Almunia. Fernando Forestieri and Daniel Pudil were watching on.

And the ball had been rolled out to Byers by the owner of that accent; Premier League legend Gianfranco Zola.

“It was an incredible experience,” a relaxed Byers told The Star nearly a decade on. “Zola was a great man, really good to us and a real inspiration to be around. He'd join in training and he'd be the best player still. Such a humble guy and good to work with - I just loved that whole experience.”

The plucking of Byers from a sea of promising young players at Watford had been no accident. The midfielder had presented as a confident and talented ball-player slight in stature but capable of mixing it, for those first few pre-season weeks at least, with internationally-capped stars aiming for promotion from the Championship.

Remembering on the opportunity as a Sheffield Wednesday key man all these years on, he replies with the sort of relaxed smile that reflects one half of his playing style; as when he’s in possession, he took that trip to Italy in his stride – in languid fashion.

It was a rise to occasion the now-26-year-old has showed on a number of occasions in blue and white since his switch from Swansea City in August 2021 – the latest example arriving newly returned from injury and bossing midfield in Barry Bannan’s absence during Thursday evening’s win over Port Vale.

That chilled-out nature is in contrast to his approach out of possession; which is determined, full-throttle and occasionally angry. It’s a handy mix.

After just one senior appearance, promotion to the Premier League effectively ensured the end of his time at a club he joined aged seven having been spotted dominating small-sided Sunday morning kickabouts at local club Redbridge FC.

By then aged 20 and released to the confusion of many Watford fans, he faced the first major threat to his dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Born in Essex and raised in Ilford to a Rangers-mad Scottish family who had moved down south for work years earlier, he had to that point either lived at home or in digs with other young players. There was no shortage of offers of employment, but ‘Where next?’ was no easy question.

“It's all I ever wanted to do,” Byers said. “Nobody in my family really played football, my dad and granddad were always just spectators and my granddad worked at Rangers and my dad has a season ticket there.

“So I was brought up in a football-mad environment without anyone actually playing football. I just loved it from a young age and it's all I ever dreamed of doing.

“I'd been at Watford a long time and in all honesty it was one of the best things that happened to me in terms of needing a change of environment. I wasn't surprised that they released me and I'd had a feeling building up that I needed something else and an opportunity to go and prove myself somewhere else.

“Those opportunities at Watford weren't happening, the club were promoted to the Premier League and there was lots of stuff that came with that.

“It was a sad time, I'd come through the academy from seven years old and it was a big change but in a weird way it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me.”

Enter chilled-out Byers once again. Swansea City came next to offer Byers another Premier League opportunity at a club famed for a playing style that would surely suit him.

Taking on his own ‘Gavin and Stacey’ move from Essex to South Wales as a youngster with only his girlfriend in tow, he was forced to grow up fast – both off and on the field as Swansea hit turbulent times.

Francesco Guidolin, Bob Bradley and Paul Clement came and went before Carlos Carvalhal joined the squad and promoted him to a more regular first team training berth.

“It was all about embracing a new challenge,” he said. “I went into the under-23s and did well, I enjoyed my football and when you're at that level you're just begging for that chance at the very top. It was the best move for me, to play with different players and different styles.

“I was training with them quite a lot in the second half of that season and Carlos was great, just a nice, humble guy. He was unlucky in taking over at the wrong time. It's fine margins and they were relegated, but that allowed me to step into things and be a bigger part of the squad in the Championship season.”

Some 65 senior appearances for the Swans followed and by the time the 2018/19 season was off and popping with now-Chelsea boss Graham Potter in charge, Byers had fought his way into first team reckoning that was followed through by Steve Cooper, also in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest.

That free transfer to Wednesday followed via an up-and-down loan at Portsmouth. Not many 26-year-olds have had the quality of big-name coaching experienced by the Owls key man.

“You see where these coaches have gone, especially Graham, and you'd be stupid if you didn't use those little details and take them onto wherever you go in your career,” he said.

“Thinking all the way back to those training sessions with Zola and all the rest of it, every manager is different but you can always take those things. Those little details are the things that make a difference and I'll always be thankful.”

The hope is that Byers can continue to take it all in his stride – and Sheffield Wednesday to the Championship.