Back in 1999, we get this phone call at home one night and it’s Sir Alex Ferguson,” recalls Michael Emerton, the father of Brett. “Sir Alex asked me could I bring my boy over to Manchester United.”

Emerton Jr idolised Ryan Giggs. The then-NSL star had also played for Australia “B” against the treble champions Manchester United that year in a tour match in Sydney.

“He knew all about Brett through [former Socceroo coach and friend] Eddie Thomson. Sir Alex said I know your boy play can play, I want to bring him over to see what his demeanour is like. We’ll pay for all your family to come over.

“So I asked Brett and he thought about it for a few minutes and said, ‘No Dad, I’m not ready.’ My son had promised to stay in Australia until the Olympics. And because he’d been to the Australian Institute of Sport, he felt he needed to repay Australia. This is where values come in.

“Brett told me, ‘I said I’d stay in Australia till the Olympics and I’m a man of my word. If he wants to ring back after the Olympics, then fine.’ So I rang back Sir Alex and said, regretfully, these are the reasons. It was amicable and he said, ‘good luck to your boy.’ But he never rang back...”

Seven years later, Brett Emerton snuck back into Sydney. His decision to hold out on a dream move to Manchester United seemingly vindicated. He is a World Cup hero and has been a regular Premier League star with Blackburn. And that unassuming, down-to-earth nature has not been swayed by success, fame and money in the intervening years.

While other Socceroos were happily fronting the frenzied media, Emerton was at home with his family in Macquarie Fields, the unfashionable western Sydney suburb where his family has lived for 36 years.

The Socceroo flyer owns property in the glamorous part of Sydney, but the anonymity of the west is how he likes it.

“If Brett walks into a room, he’ll be the one who’ll stand in the corner and not be centre of attention. He’s always been that way,” says Emerton Sr, slightly bemused but proud.

“He’s given up a lot family-wise over the years, pretty much from since he was nine. But he always knew what he wanted to do.”

The soon-to-be-retired plumber tells the story of how his famous son was driving near the family home recently when he happened upon a stray dog. He rang his father to see if he could come to pick up the animal. No luck with Dad, so Emerton – World Cup hero, Premiership star – knocked on the door of a nearby stranger’s house in the middle of the night with dog in tow to ascertain if anyone knew the stray.

The householders – stunned that a Socceroo they’d seen a week earlier at the World Cup was on their doorstep – agreed to hold onto the dog till the morning, when Emerton would drop by personally to take the stray to a dogs’ home. The owner was eventually reunited with the pooch but never knew it was rescued by Brett Emerton.There are other stories too. How the 28-year-old recently traded his Porsche for a Mini. Or the Emerton family tradition of a camping trip for the boys of the family to a lake near Lithgow.

“One minute, Brett’s in five-star luxury, the next he’s just one of the boys in a sleeping bag under the stars near Lithgow,” says his dad. “When he comes home, all his cousins and us go up and camp out. Just us blokes. We have a game of touch football, or sit and talk and have a drink. Brett loves it up there.

“I’ve hardly seen him over the last 20 years. They say the trappings are good but by gee, you give up a lot, especially if you’re family oriented.”

The Socceroo also missed the birth of his sister’s baby recently.

“It’s hard but Brett’s very strong and that’s what gets him through. He played 50-odd games for Blackburn last year, plus Australian games. It’s tiring.”

Good genes help. Emerton’s mother Lyn played high level basketball, swimming, and hockey and she ran. His father also played football and rugby league. His sisters played hockey – they had a family “Team Emerton” at one point – and swam.

“I never forced him to do anything he didn’t want to do because by the time you’re 15 or so, they’ve had enough,” says his father. “It’s gotta come from within. My two girls had the same ability, but not the same drive.

“Brett excelled early on in his career at almost any sport he played,” says Michael, “little athletics, swimming, cross country running, rugby league.”

At nine, Emerton went into Football NSW’s programs at its Parklea complex, run by uber youth coach David Lee.

“This showed what sort of drive Brett had,” notes Michael. “He gave up his holidays at Easter and Christmas for that. He’d be living in Parklea and training every day. That’s determination. And he did that up until he was 15. Harry [Kewell] did the same thing. David Lee was his mentor. He set him on the right path. He was about teaching the skills rather than actually playing. David was all about skills, skills, skills.

“Brett had a game or two of league but didn’t like it as much as soccer. He would’ve made a brilliant rugby league player because he’s as tough as nails and can run all day. He could adapt to any sport.”

A 17-year-old Brett Emerton made his senior football debut 10 years ago in the old National Soccer League, although the day was more famous for a 15-year-old Nick Carle, who scored the winner for Sydney Olympic against Marconi at the SFS.

Kimon Taliadoros played against Emerton that season. “I was with Collingwood Warriors [a short-lived Melbourne NSL club] and we hosted Olympic at Victoria Park,” says Taliadoros. “Brett made an incredible impression in that game as I remember.

“He was uncontainable. We had no way in which to deal with him. His athleticism, his speed… At that stage I think we were just grateful he didn’t have the highly developed skills that he does now in terms of his ability on the ball. It was quite special. He reminded me of Stan Lazaridis. He just had that vital ingredient of any player in a wide position, which is remarkable speed.”

Taliadoros, capped nine times for the Socceroos and a 12-year NSL veteran, joined Olympic the following season.

“Brett was quite introverted and very focused,” he recalls. “He always conducted himself as a professional with his attitude to training, coaching staff and others. He obviously learned good traits at the AIS and those attributes were key in him being able to capitalise on his ability. And I recall he had a dry wit as well.”

Sydney Olympic’s coaching merry-go-round saw the ex-Socceroo David Ratcliffe replaced by returning Socceroo David Mitchell. The Glory assistant coach remembers his first game in charge.

“It was down in Canberra, we won 2-0 and Brett scored a wonder goal,” remembers Mitchell. “He beat about three players and calmly slotted the ball home. As a 17-year-old he was strong, powerful and quick.

“From that time, it was just a matter of time for developing. And he took the good option of developing himself in Australia.”By the time the 2000 Olympics came around, Emerton was the captain of the Olyroos and the hottest name on the local scene. Mitchell wanted to sign him for his club Parramatta Power. “But I think Brett was settled at Olympic and he had a lot of good years there until it was the right time for him to go,” adds Mitchell.

Captaining Australia’s Olympic side in a hometown event was too big an honour to pass up. And he’d given his word. Australia crashed out in the group stages after losses to an Andrea Pirlo-inspired Italy, Nigeria – when Emerton was red-carded – and Honduras.

“Brett was a quiet young man but he had incredible qualities which you need to have as a captain,” says then-coach Raul Blanco. “He lead by example in all ways. He typified this brilliantly.

“He was so unassuming that some were not sure that he would be a good captain but I was completely convinced and he did a wonderful job.

“I’d coached Brett in the Young Socceroos and we’d played in hot conditions, cold conditions, it didn’t matter, he was always there for you and be the same person and player. The testing we did proved he was an extraordinary athlete, probably the best in the squads we had, from endurance to sprints.”

Blanco adds that the red card against the Nigerians “was absolutely out of character”.

“He was a marked man in the national league, he could take any kind of knocks and go on. He never reacted to any kicking. But those games had some pressure after we’d lost to Italy.

“I think [Celestine] Babayaro had a go at him a few times and got away with it and Brett reacted. It was a bit of a ‘Liverpool kiss’ but it was minor and their player took advantage of the situation. Unfortunately it showed he can be human. It was very, very surprising.”

However, the disappointing Olympics wasn’t going to stop Emerton. Through Mitchell’s Feyenoord connections – he had played at the De Kuip for two years in the 1980s – he was able to recommend the player to the club’s technical director Rob Baan.

The future Australian technical director, Baan flew to Australia to tie up the deal. But it wasn’t all rosy in the land of the Oranje over the next three seasons, despite it being another smart career move.

The Aussie was converted into an attacking right-back at the Rotterdam club.

“Brett wanted to be a midfielder, says Mitchell, “and I think the thing that knocked him down a bit in Holland was that they wanted him to be a right-back.

“They felt he was better facing the play and running onto the ball rather than receiving the ball with his back to the play... they felt he was more suited to the other way of coming into the game. That was something he had with the club. They wanted him as a right-back to get forward as much as possible.”

However, after 92 appearances over three seasons and 11 goals, Emerton was ready for the league he always had wanted to play in: the English Premiership.

“A lot of players come to Belgium or Holland to learn their trade before they move to the big leagues, which is a good idea,” explains Mitchell. “Brett became a very important player for them, scored some great goals and made some good opportunities for his team-mates.

“So I think they were very, very happy with him. The time had come and he’d developed. The good thing about the Dutch is they know their place in world football. They know they can scout the world, get good, talented players. Then if they do well with them – because they also play in Europe competitions and the top league of Holland – big clubs in England and Europe will look at these clubs. And they look at it as a valuable situation to sell them on.”

The Emertons thought long and hard before deciding on Blackburn. And clearly, it has proved to be the right move. He signed in 2003 and has enjoyed a successful time at Ewood Park.

“Blackburn was chosen because then-coach Graeme Souness wanted him,” recalls Emerton Sr. “He’d ring up all the time, saying, ‘I want him.’

“He saw him play for Australia against Scotland and wanted to sign him ever since. And Souness was fair dinkum. Even though Newcastle United came in with a late bid, we knew it was the right move.”

It has worked out well. Emerton has played regularly, is settled off the field and has made good friends in and around the club.

“Brett’s both feet are on the ground,” says Mitchell. “He’s a Rolls Royce in that he has a strong body, he’s quick and he looks after himself. Brett could play till he’s 36, 37.”