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Two Champions League finals, two defeats. No silverware but football fans around the turn of the century will not forget Gaizka Mendieta or Valencia.

For supporters in the UK, or in this writer’s case Ireland, Mendieta came out of nowhere in 1999 to become one of Europe’s most exciting players.

His peak would not last too long, but what a peak it was.

To celebrate the BBC having Champions League highlights this season, we will look at a Champions League cult hero each week there are games.

In the days of fledgling internet, before social media existed – and unless you had satellite television – the free-to-air Champions League and major tournaments were the way you discovered foreign players for the first time.

Mendieta was in his mid-20s when Valencia, for two years, were the talk of the town.

In 1999-2000, the Basque playmaker ran things for Hector Cuper’s Los Che. The classy midfielder, his hair blowing in the wind as he drifted past players, made key passes and scored significant goals.

He had a rocket of a shot from long range, quick feet that helped him elude opponents and could play centrally or on the wing. In summary, the ideal attacking midfielder.

Other stars of the team were Spain goalkeeper Santiago Canizares, France full-back Jocelyn Angloma, future Barcelona midfielder Gerard and Argentina forward Claudio Lopez.

Valencia had to come through a round of qualifying and were then unbeaten as they finished top of a group containing Bayern Munich.

Mendieta scored a fantastic strike in a 2-1 win at Rangers in that group, with a perfect hit on the bounce from the edge of the box that went in via the post.

“Mendieta is the type of player every team would love to have – not just skilful, but with imagination, and full of running and working for his team,” said Rangers boss Dick Advocaat afterwards., external

They also got through a second group stage – a short-lived Uefa addition – with Mendieta scoring penalties against Fiorentina and Bordeaux.

Then they eliminated Lazio and Barcelona in the two knockout rounds. He scored in both legs against Barcelona, including a fine 20-yard effort at the Nou Camp.

Mendieta’s performances were so impressive that Lazio and Barcelona ended up being his next two clubs.

Sadly for Valencia, they played Real Madrid in the final and lost 3-0. It was Real’s first European Cup win since 1966. A few more have followed since then.

The following year, nobody was going to underestimate Valencia or Mendieta – yet teams still struggled to stop them.

Vicente, Didier Deschamps, Pablo Aimar and John Carew were some of the iconic names to join them that season.

It was a season that will especially be remembered by a host of English teams’ fans.

Valencia finished above Manchester United in the second group phase – then knocked out Arsenal in the quarter-finals and Leeds United in the semi-finals.

Mendieta netted their third in the second leg against Leeds, with a wonderful low drive into the bottom corner from distance.

Bayern Munich awaited in the final in the San Siro. Three minutes in, Mendieta was fouled and stepped up to take the penalty, slotting it into the bottom corner beyond Oliver Kahn.

But Bayern came back, with Stefan Effenberg scoring a second-half penalty – and the German giants won the shootout 5-4. Captain Mendieta converted his spot-kick.

That was Bayern’s first European Cup since 1976; Valencia had been the opponents as two of Europe’s great clubs ended their Champions League droughts.

Mendieta was named the best midfielder at the Uefa Club Football Awards in both those seasons.

Rodri and Trent Alexander-Arnold are among Real Madrid’s targets, Man Utd interested in Karim Adeyemi and Newcastle target Angel Gomes.

Real Madrid are targeting Manchester City’s Spain midfielder Rodri, Liverpool’s 25-year-old England full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and either Arsenal’s 23-year-old France defender William Saliba or Tottenham’s Argentina centre-back Cristian Romero, 26. (Independent), external

Tottenham are planning to offer Romero a new contract to deter interested clubs. (Football Insider), external

Manchester United are interested in Borussia Dortmund’s 22-year-old Germany forward Karim Adeyemi but could face competition from Newcastle and Liverpool. (Teamtalk), external

Newcastle are among a host of Premier League clubs interested in Lille’s 24-year-old England midfielder Angel Gomes, who is out of contract at the end of the season. (Football Insider), external

West Ham and Manchester United are keen on 29-year-old Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka, who is unhappy after losing his place at Bayern Munich. (Sun), external

Everton see England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford as one of their most important players and have no plans to replace the 30-year-old with Newcastle’s fellow England international Nick Pope, 32. (Teamtalk), external

Mike Taylor, BBC Radio WM reporter

Football clubs are all about history – a club’s history is one of the main reasons why their fans care so much about it. Villa’s history weighs heavier than most. Specifically, for modern Villa players, there is 1982, an achievement that fills their supporters with pride, but sets a mighty yardstick by which their successors are matched.

Equalling that really would be something extraordinary, but the fact that Villa have returned to this level sets the current cohort of players – and of course their manager – apart from all the others who have followed the European Cup winners. The competition, after all, has changed since then in almost every respect, up to and including its name. Being back in Europe at all last year was a pleasant surprise at the time, and it meant a lot to fans. It matters to be in Europe, and being in the bigger competition now matters more.

But it’s not enough for everyone. Witness Emery, with his team leading 3-0 and obviously in total command, flapping and fussing over tiny details in the final minutes. Just being here will not do for him, and the demands he makes of his players and by extension his club remind everyone who deals with him of that, every day. Listening to the players speak, that feeling is clearly infectious.

How far that energy can carry them in the Champions League is hard to gauge in Bern tonight, but after the next game, against Bayern Munich in two weeks’ time, we’ll know more.

Former England defender Stephen Warnock, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “Harry Kane is an exceptional professional.

“One thing we know about Kane is he’s never had blistering pace, his game is thought in the mind, he sees space and senses where the ball might drop – he is an intelligent footballer.”

This summer there were calls for Kane, England’s all-time record goalscorer, to be dropped during the run to the Euro 2024 final.

Warnock continued: “He will prove people wrong for the next couple of years. People are going to talk about it [his performances for England at Euro 2024]. It was a bad Euros for him.

“It didn’t go well and I think there was a number of factors; an injury he picked up in the late stages of the Bundesliga, the style of play England had, or, the wingers he was playing with didn’t complement him.

“He will score goals at Bayern Munich as he suits the way they play. The one thing about Vincent Kompany’s teams is they do create so many opportunities.”

Kane scored 44 goals in 45 games for Bayern last season. He recently marked his 100th England cap with two goals against Finland.

“He will be involved in 50 goals this season with goals and assists, but he will still get questioned about his England position,” added Warnock.

“I don’t know why people want to question him, he is still phenomenal.”

For all Kane’s goals – 417 for club and country now – he has yet to win a major trophy.

Bayern failed to win the Bundesliga for the first time in 12 years last season.

He has also lost two European Championship finals with England and a Champions League final with Tottenham.

Former Bayern and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves, on TNT Sports, said: “He played to the level you’d expect [last season]. The other players didn’t.

“Harry is going to win trophies – the only question is which ones.”

Duggan’s journey began at Everton when she broke into the first team as a 16-year-old, and she would go on to represent Manchester City, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, before returning to Merseyside to finish her career.

She was a key player for England and says it was like “the Lionesses were born” after the 2015 Women’s World Cup, when they won bronze.

“Honestly, playing for England were the best days of my life. I just loved it. I loved travelling with the team and having the laughs we had,” said Duggan.

“I think I was [aware of my profile]. It grew. The catalyst for it was the Women’s World Cup in Canada. We’ve never really looked back since.

“I was so proud to be part of that team. We didn’t come away with the gold medal but we definitely changed the perception of women’s football.”

Since then, investment has grown and the Lionesses have delivered, winning Euro 2022 and reaching the Women’s World Cup final in 2023.

Duggan is proud her generation were “a part of all the firsts”.

“There is something special and nice about doing the ‘firsts’. Of course, we would have loved those opportunities, but I don’t look back with any regrets,” she said.

“The first time Nike decided to do a women’s football kit, the first time we sold out Wembley Stadium, the first time women played at Anfield and Goodison Park, the first time England won a bronze medal at a Women’s World Cup.

“There will be kids in the future who have much better experiences than I did. But that’s the way the world works – and hopefully one of those kids can be [my daughter] Luella.”

Duggan became one of the first high-profile English players to become a mother in March 2023, and received maternity pay from Everton.

She says returning from pregnancy to play in the Women’s Super League (WSL) for a year was one of her proudest moments.

“Just coming back from it all, going through pregnancy and coming back to being an elite footballer was difficult – but incredible as well,” said Duggan.

“To have Luella in the stands with me last year – she was only young and won’t remember it, but I certainly will. It was a great achievement and one I’m proud of.”