A clinical penalty taker and named as Spanish superstar midfielder Xavi’s childhood inspiration, Matt Le Tissier was a once-in-a-generation footballer. Chris Price met the Sky pundit.

When it comes to after dinner speaking, Matt Le Tissier is always asked two questions: what was his favourite goal and what is the secret of taking a decent penalty.

His favourite strike during his 16-year career at Southampton came during the 1994 to 1995 season at Ewood Park against Blackburn. He dribbled it past two defenders before delivering a looping piledriver over the head of keeper Tim Flowers from 35 yards out. It won him Match of the Day’s Goal of the Season award that year.

The other question he finds much more tricky to answer.

“The biggest thing about penalties is wanting to be there,” said Matt, 43, who scored 47 of 48 attempts in his career. “You have got to be put in the position willingly rather than forced.”

On that evidence, perhaps a few players on both sides in last weekend’s Carling Cup Final between Liverpool and Cardiff found themselves pushed into taking a spot kick. Liverpool won 3-2 on penalties after several woeful misses but Matt disagreed.

“I never had to take one in a final,” he said. “It’s hard to put yourself in their shoes at that moment. I only ever had to score ones in the league.”

A one-club man throughout his career, he first played for The Saints in 1986, appearing 443 times for the club and scoring 162 goals before retiring in 2002. Yet the man known as Le Tiss to his fans does not think players of his kind will ever appear in the modern game.

“The game has changed very much,” said Matt who also earned eight England caps. “Finances mean it is very rare for someone to stay at the smaller clubs.”

Asked what he thought about Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, both one-club players in the Premier League, he said: “It is easier to stay loyal to a club like Manchester United, where you are earning decent money anyway.

“In my day the difference in wages between somewhere like Southampton and the other clubs was not as huge as it is now. My resolve would have been tested if I had been offered the kind of figures the big players are offered today.”

These days, Matt is a pundit on Sky Sports’ Gillette Soccer Saturday, a role which he fell into, admitting: “I didn’t really have any plans when I retired. I went with the flow, did a few bits and bobs and then Sky chose me.”

He did briefly consider management when Harry Redknapp left Southampton for Portsmouth in 2005. The club was at the bottom of the Championship but Matt soon realised the job was not for him after taking the early stages of his coaching badges.

He cites ex-Liverpool legend Jimmy Case and a young Alan Shearer as amongst the best players he ever played alongside at Southampton, while Paul Gascoigne, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Eric Cantona were named as his most worthy adversaries.

In 2010, World Cup winning Spain and Barcelona midfielder Xavi said Matt was his childhood hero, claiming “His talent was simply out of the norm. He could simply dribble past seven or eight players but without speed – he just walked past them. For me he was sensational.”

Yet when it comes to the Soccer Saturday commentary team, there is one name that is Matt’s favourite.

“Merse” he said, referring to ex-Arsenal and Aston Villa midfielder Paul Merson. “Just listening to his pronunciations cracks me up every week. He is slightly dyslexic which doesn’t help. He is very entertaining to sit next to.”

Matt Le Tissier and Soccer Saturday’s Tony Gale will be speakers at a sportsman’s dinner at Priestfield, Gillingham on Thursday, March 8. Tickets, including a three-course meal, are £47.50 . Call 01634 300000. Later this year, Matt appears with Soccer Saturday host Jeff Stelling alongside Paul Merson, Phil Thompson, Charlie Nicholas and Chris Kamara in Soccer Anyday Live at Wembley Arena. The show is on Monday, April 30. Tickets £32.50. Box office 0844 844 0444.