Why English cricket owes Dario Gradi big time

Eleven years at the top: English cricket's greatest servant owes a lot to Dario Gradi

The year was 1978, and thirty-five-year old Dario Gradi was the head coach of Chelsea's outstanding youth side. Dario was fresh from playing for Tooting and Mitcham and working in a youth development role at the Football Association before embarking on a similar role at Stamford Bridge.

There was a young centre-forward, aged fifteen by the name of Alec Stewart, the son of former England cricket player Mickey Stewart. Alec had close ties with footballing greats such as Bobby Robson and George Cohen, who regularly popped round for a game of football with him and his brother Neil. One could say that a career in sport was destined for him.

Stewart was a prolific goalscorer for his beloved Chelsea in his youth, but Dario brought his dreams to an abrupt end when he advised the youngster to "Go and play cricket instead."

Initially heart broken, the fifteen-year old took in what Gradi told him and began to follow in his fathers footsteps and craft a career in county cricket with his local side Surrey and later on with England.

He has gone on to make 133 test and 170 one day appearances for England, the most capped cricket player of all time and the highest England run scorer of all time since his debut in 1992.

He enters his last day of Test Cricket tomorrow, aged forty after eleven years at the top, maybe the greatest cricket player of all time.

So who does English Cricket have to thank for the loyalty and professionalism shown by Alec Stewart over the past eleven years? One man: Dario Gradi and his wise piece of advice to "Go and play cricket."