Milla: I'd love to meet up with my friend Gazza again

It is particularly disappointing for him because he has obviously been aware of the health struggles of Paul Gascoigne.

In the days, weeks and months that followed one of the most memorable England World Cup games in the last 25 years, two of that game's most compelling figures became friends.

Gascoigne, the gifted but flawed genius of English football and Milla, the man who can still lay claim to having provided the most important breakthrough performance by an African footballer on the global stage.

Fifteen years separated them when they lined up against each other for the England-Cameroon quarter-final at Italia 90 on a steamy night in Naples.

There were a few words exchanged during this epic game but the French-speaking Milla found the babbling Geordie's accent too thick to penetrate.

But they shared the game's universal language and, after England's exciting if somewhat fortuitous 3-2 victory, a friendship blossomed.

"Paul is a friend, we stayed in touch after that game and got to know each other," says Milla. "I would love to have seen him on this trip before going back but I don't think it is possible.

"I have read the stories of his problems and it saddens me to hear them. The last I heard he was in rehabilitation and I hope that he is well.

"After that World Cup we were among a group of players who were invited to Greece by the government and some followers of the World Cup to play in a gala match.

"Paul was there, with his father and some friends. We became friends, we spoke about the World Cup but he had a very strong accent so it was not always easy to understand him! But we stayed in contact after that. I have not seen him recently though, I would love to meet with him again."

The English public who have bestowed upon Gascoigne nothing short of national treasure status, despite all his highly-publicised and sometimes undignified antics, will hope that one of England's finest talents remains healthy enough to keep a date with an old adversary.

Affection

But it is warming to hear sports folk, who first come together in direct conflict, emerge from the battleground with mutual respect and affection that endures to this day.

And what a combat it was at the Stadium San Paolo on the Sunday night of July 1, 24 years ago.

On opposite sides of the globe, two nations sat huddled around TV screens to watch Bobby Robson's England take a 1-0 lead before half-time thanks to a David Platt goal.

Enter Milla, a half-time substitute for Emmanuel Maboang.

Rarely have I seen a substitute bring such an overwhelming transformation to a game. Never have I seen a substitute do so at the age of 38. Milla brought chaos to a three-man centre-back line of Terry Butcher, Des Walker and Mark Wright – all defenders of higher quality than Roy Hodgson's choices for the Brazil finals fast approaching – and inspired a turnaround with two Cameroon goals in four minutes.

In one last twist of an epic game, England recovered with two penalties from Gary Lineker, the second struck five minutes from the end of extra-time and a legendary contest between an old European power and a rising star of African football was complete.

Although Milla's World Cup was brought to a conclusion that night, the imprint remains.

He is surprisingly small for a man of such gigantic deeds. He walks into one of the academy changing rooms at Wolves' Compton training ground and it's a slight disappointment that the man who can lay claim to being the father of African football isn't at least seven foot tall.

In fact Milla was never a giant (5ft 8in) even when he was leaving Butcher & Co chasing shadows that night. It just seemed that way.

But his influence was huge. For a start, there's a reason why today's first generation of fans revel at the ever-imaginative routines players devise to celebrate goals and it is because Milla broke with all tradition when he celebrated his first goal at the finals – his signature corner-flag dance would have gone viral in the YouTube age.

He also became the symbol of Africa at last delivering on the promise of that continent's football.

Called out of semi-retirement at the age of 38 on the orders of the President – amid much resentment from the World Cup squad's younger members – Milla was simply brilliant, largely in the role of impact substitute.

Two goals against Romania and then, in the round of 16 tie, against Colombia were his reward before he drew the penalty and then set up the second in that England match.

He gets asked to perform his legendary hip wiggle wherever he goes around the world.

Does he mind constantly being asked about it?

"Not at all – I love to talk about it," he says.

"The dance, I have to say, was completely spontaneous. I had never done anything like it before.

"People have said I must have rehearsed it but that is foolish because I had no idea if I would be selected to play at any time and no idea that I would score.

"It was sheer joy and exuberance, it was instinct. I had played a lot of my club football with Montpellier and I recall that there were a lot of my supporters from there at Italia 90.

"I wanted to share the moment with them, that is all. But I am happy that it is seen as the start of the 'goal celebration'.

"I was only there because the President of Cameroon at the time forced the coach to pick me. Everybody thought I was too old to play but the President overruled everybody, including the Minister of Sport!

"I had no doubts about my ability as long as I could handle it physically...and I could.

"The match against England was huge and we were all very focused on that game.

"I was just thinking about doing the same that I had been able to do against Romania and Colombia – to change the game.

"The game wasn't going anywhere for us at the time I came on. The psychology of the game was flat. England were in control.

"But I could feel it change in the second half. I could feel it through the mood of the supporters. We were very concentrated and focused on what we needed to do."

Cameroon charmed the entire tournament with their performances in 1990, performances which finally established the African threat at a World Cup finals. And when they took a 2-1 lead, it looked as if they were about to write another glorious chapter.

The penalties with which England turned the game, and the performance of Mexican referee Edgardo Codesal Mendez still raise his hackles all these years later.

"Were we unlucky? We felt that there was an attitude that it was enough for Cameroon to be where they were. Some of my team-mates certainly felt that," he adds.

"They were questioning some of the decisions thinking 'Is that right?' and 'What is going on here?'

"There was a strong feeling from my team that he was on their side.

"I've just been speaking to someone at the University (of Wolverhampton) who is a Sunderland supporter and he said to me 'I think England stole that game that night.' So maybe you felt some of that too."

Incredibly, Cameroon's noble exit that night wasn't the end of Milla and the World Cup. Four years later, he was back again for the USA finals.

Scoring against Russia at the age of 42, he surely established for all time a record as the oldest player to score at the finals.

How did he do it?

"To be honest, I found it so natural that I'm not natural," he says.

"I looked after myself physically. I never did anything to harm my fitness. I did not have a wild lifestyle but a very wholesome one. Half a glass of wine every so often would be as much alcohol as I would drink."

Such vitality has been reflected in his private life, too. His 31-year-old son works for FIFA and his oldest daughter, 26, is forging a fashion career in Paris. But following the death of his first wife in 1994, he has re-married and sired a further five children. "It's God that gives me strength," he smiles.

"And I don't think I have ever changed. I have never lost touch with the people.

"I don't think I became big-headed at all. What happened to me in 1990 changed my fame but did not change me.

"I have always stayed in touch with the people who supported me and I always will do."

As a roving ambassador for Cameroon these days, a duty he performs willingly despite some well-publicised tussles with previous FA officials of whom he has been highly critical, he is saddened by the grimy publicity which has darkened FIFA's reputation in recent years.

Milla just wants the football world to "get on with it" when it comes to the contentious decision of taking the finals to Qatar in 2022 – "it would be a way of developing football in unusual places" – while he was delighted that his continent was given the chance to stage the 2010 finals in South Africa.

"That was the only African nation able to stage the finals because it had the infrastructure and stadia to do so," says Milla.

"It was a big breakthrough for Africa in 1990 and we continue to work hard. I think we will get there (an African nation winning the World Cup) one day.

"But I don't see a winner this year.

"We've got to continue to work hard and compete at the right level.

"I must say Africans are in the toughest groups in this World Cup.

"The five representatives will have to work harder to get out of their groups.

"This is different from the previous one, it a tough path to take for all teams and all we can hope is they go the extra mile to overcome their challenges.

"Once we get out of the groups to the next round then maybe we can determine our potential to go all the way.

"It is impossible for me to pick the best performer of the five at this point.

"You cannot really tell because all teams have equal opposition if not even opportunities."

So who does he feel will win? Milla's response is unhesitating.

"Brazil. I feel Brazil will be the strongest challenge because everything is in their favour. The gods are on their side," he says.

"They're at home. They've got very good players and they have a public who will be more than 100 per cent behind them. I do not look any further than Brazil.

"England has, in my view, the best league football in the world. I have no doubt about that.

"When you see the difference between the Premier League and other leagues you think it cannot be anything other than an asset to the international team. But for these finals, it very much depends how they do in the pool matches.

"Very often England reach the quarter-finals then suddenly stumble, the rhythm goes down and they don't progress.

"If they reach the semi-finals why not? Anything is possible. Particularly as you see what the English Premiership is like and particularly what Liverpool have done this year.

"Liverpool have got excellent players that can take England into the finals. Yes, they have a chance if they get through the pool stage."

Nowadays, aged 61, Milla has set up a foundation, Coeur d-Afrique, which aims to help under-privileged children and get them an education in his homeland.

As part of a link-up the University of Wolverhampton has helped sponsor an IT facility in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon.

Milla made a visit to Molineux and Wolves' Compton training ground during his stay, as well as the club museum.

"I used to get up and go to the stadium with my football boots folded up in my pockets," said Milla, who was once a target for Walsall during Kenny Hibbitt's time as Saddlers manager.

"It's great to see the young players here because that used to be me on the streets."