Anton Otulakowski is sitting in his home in a Yorkshire farmhouse surrounded by sheep, remembering with remarkable detail his career inside the cauldron of the old Den.

But one of his most treasured memories didn't even take place on the pitch.

And it wasn't the celebrations after promotion to the Second Division in 1985 under George Graham - because he just went home.

Instead, he recalls when a man and wife approached him at the ground and asked to have his photo taken with the left-winger.

Anton obliged and was introduced to their new-born child as the they lined up. "We named him after you," said the fan.

To this day, it is an incident which clearly brings a lump to the player's throat. "It was one of the most moving and humbling things that ever happened to me - that I meant so much to this man he wanted to name his son after me," said the 50-year-old. "Holding that baby in my arms was a very special moment in my life."

Another precious item is a cutting he kept from a Millwall fanzine. The writer describes playing as a boy. "I didn't want to be Gary Lineker or Chris Waddle," the author said. "I wanted to be Anton Otulakoswki."

The winger commented: "I was never on the world stage - I was just an honest, hard worker. For someone to say that was a lovely tribute."

Otulakowski's father left his native Poland after the Second World War and brought his son up in Dewsbury, near Barnsley. Though the youngster's uncle Arthur Thompson played for Huddersfield Town, was baffled by professional football.

He was picked up by Fourth Division Barnsley's manager Jim Iley when still at school, and was soon playing for their youth team. But when Iley told him to turn up for pre-season training, the youngster said: "But I can't - I've booked a holiday with my mates to Bournemouth."

"I was just a kid who played in the park. I didn't realise what was expected of me."

At the same time, the teenager was a successful international gymnast, travelling to competitions in countries like Germany. It was a training that would stand him in good stead later. "At Millwall, I took the warm-ups because what I did was so much more effective than our coach Theo Foley's," said Otulakowski. "I remember at West Ham, Alan Curbishley couldn't touch his toes he had never worked on his hamstrings. But I would warm up for any exercise for 90 minutes."

Otulakowski was still working full-time as a draftsman for the gas board. But he was still fitter than all his team-mates.

The West Ham management duo of John Lyall and Ron Greenwood liked what they saw and paid £60,000 for him in 1978. But he played little in the following seasons in the old First Division, and Third Division Southend snapped him up.

When George Graham tried to sign him from the Shrimpers in 1982, though, he drove a hard bargain, and initially they parted without a deal. After Graham leaked the story to the papers, and Lions chairman Alan Thorn offered to make up the difference, though, the winger signed, along with Southend team-mate, centre-back David Cusack, for a total of £60,000.

The duo were among eight new players in the squad Graham took to Bisham Abbey for a bonding session. But the purpose of the jaunt was lost on Kevin Bremner and Lawrie Madden.

"The two of them went for a tackle and ended up fighting," said Otulakowski. "I looked at George and he just said 'Oh, leave them to it'."

Otulakowski scored his first goal for his new club to equalise against his previous one, Southend, and in a vital 3-1 win.

When it came to the last game of the season, at Chesterfield on May 14, the Lions needed to win to stay in the Third Division. Madden and Bremner started fighting again, over ticket allocations. "I remember wishing they would leave it for the game," said Otulakowski.

He need not have worried. He won a penalty, which Cusack converted for the winner.

"The ball was going out of play so I knocked it around a defender and wrapped my legs around him and the ref pointed to the spot," admitted the winger. "It became a known fact, players should not go near me in the area. I can look as though I've been shot very easily."

Graham told Otulakowski he had an "out-standing game" - one of the few times he had, with any player - in a 1-0 win over Bristol Rovers in December 1983.

"I would normally take free-kicks on the right and curl them to the far post, but this time the wall was set up to prevent that," said the winger. "But they had left a gap at the near post, and their keeper was badly positioned, in the middle. I just aimed for the near post, which is where it went in, for a 1-0 home win. Everything went right for me that game - defending, creating, attacking."

By 1984-85, Graham had Steve Lowndes, Kevin Bremner, Nicky Chatterton, Steve Lovell, Dean Neal and John Fashnu. Millwall finished as Third Division runners-up to gain promotion. Lovell was top scorer, largely thanks to the seven penalties Otulakowski won.

Among the less successful players at the time was one Teddy Sheringham. "Teddy had great touch," said the Yorkshireman. "And I always knew when he had the ball he would thread a ball through that would get me behind the defence."

"But he was a bit cumbersome - and every time he got in the area, he would try and bend or chip it around the keeper. George wanted him to be more direct.

"The system George played, it was all about collective effort. If someone wasn't pulling their weight, they would stick out like a sore thumb."

"But there was no comparison between him and Millwall's other England striker John Fashanu - who just couldn't control the ball."

Otulakowski was injured for the first half of the following season, 1985-86. "It was a bone problem," said Otulakowski. "George said I was bone idle. But it was my knee, which had to have an operation. "I was still voted Player of the Season, which showed the fans thought I had contributed a lot -and that was a real highlight for me."

Graham left at the end of the 1985-86 season and said in his autobiography: "I would have taken Anton to Arsenal with me, because of the type of player and person he was, if he had been two years younger."

Otualkowski was the first player bought with cash strapped Palace's Lifeline appeal, costing Steve Coppell a mere £19,000. But he would play only 12 games for them before an injury forced him to retire. His only goal for the Eagles, came, inevitably, against Millwall.

"When I signed for Palace, I did not realise how great the rivalry was, because we had hardly played each other," said Otulakowski.

"If there was one manager you would have said was not going to make it, Steve was it, because he was so naive in his approach."

"But he has grown and developed so much since then."

The ex-Lion did return to the new Den to watch a game five years ago, but on the way, a car smashed into the back of his on Blackheath. "It was a group of Millwall fans," he said.

"We were exchanging addresses when they recognised me."

"They ended up showing me the way to the new ground. And that was just a taster of what lovely friendly people there are at the club. I felt really special that day."