What makes a football cult hero?
Every fan has worshipped one while following their team but they weren’t necessarily the best player in the team.
And neither were they a club legend - the type of loyal servants who end up with statues outside the ground.
But a cult hero requires several ingredients that separate them from other players and above else they win a place in the hearts of the supporters.
The fact they are often not the star of the team is one thing that earns them cult hero status but their commitment makes up for any lack of quality.
There is usually one weakness that stands out and there is a ‘What could have been?’ without those flaws.
Then again, if it wasn’t for that weakness - or weaknesses - then there’s every chance they wouldn’t have been at your club!
Arriving from foreign shores, but adapting to local culture, is usually another factor in cult heroes which adds to that magic and mystery and cements the special bond with the fans.
This week Record Sport will be looking at some of Scottish football’s biggest cult heroes of the noughties.
And kicking off our series is Moroccan Hicham Zerouali who spent three years with Aberdeen after arriving from Saudi Arabia in 1999 and became a firm favourite but it’s also a tale of tragedy after he was killed in a car accident, aged just 27.
How did he end up Scotland?
Aberdeen manager Ebbe Skovdahl signed Zerouali in November 1999 from Moroccan side FUS de Rabat.
They paid a fee of £450,000 after the recommendation of the club's director of football, Keith Burkinshaw.
Why did the fans love him so much?
When Zerouali moved to the Granite City, the Dons were deep in a relegation battle with lots of pressure on their new recruit to deliver.
And that's exactly what he did.
On his debut he dazzled the Pittodrie crowd with his flicks, tricks and skill, making an instant impression on the crowd.
He replaced Robbie Winters on the hour mark, when the scores were level at 1-1 in a crunch tie with Hearts, and within minutes he helped set up two goals as Aberdeen beat the Gorgie side 3-1.
Zerouali went on to score one of the most memorable goals in AFC history with an unbelievably 35-yard bullet free-kick against St Mirren in January 2000 - incidentally Aberdeen's 700th goal in the Scottish Cup. It's one of the best strikes you'll ever see and hoped guide the Dons to the League and Scottish Cup finals that season.
What moment cemented his cult hero status?
Zerouali's Pittodrie record over two and a half seasons reads: Played 48, goals 13 but it was the sheer quality on show such as spectacular top corner volleys rather than close range tap-in's that got the Dons support on their feet adoring the Moroccan.
He also became the first and only player to wear the number '0' on the back of his shirt in Scottish top flight history. Wearing the number '0' would be outlawed by both the Scottish FA soon after.
Although he might not go down as one of the legends of the club, the little magician will always be remembered by the Red Army for being one of the most gifted players to have ever pulled on an Aberdeen shirt.
Where did he go after Pittodrie?
Zerouali played a vital role in securing a fourth placed finish for the Dons in the 2001/02 season.
After his contract at Aberdeen expired in July 2002, Zerouali moved to play his football in the United Arab Emirates with Al-Nassr for a year before returning to live in his homeland in 2003, to sign for old rivals FAR Rabat, where he won the Coupe du Trône that year.
He was killed in his home city of Rabat in 2004 after losing control of his car which ploughed into a tree the day after he scored twice for his club, Royal Armed Forces, in a league match.
