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Mohamed Al-Fayed took Fulham from the third tier to the seventh in the Premier League and a European final – and did so in his signature style.
The Egyptian businessman took charge of the west London club in 1997 for an estimated fee of £9million, pledging to guide them to the top-flight in five seasons – and ended up doing so in four.
Chris Coleman and John Salako were among the top-flight players to drop down league to join the project as Barry Hayles made the switch from League Two rivals Bristol Rovers.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Star Sport following the passing of his former chairman at the age of 94, Hayles said: "He transformed my life really.
READ MORE: Mohamed Al-Fayed invited Michael Jackson to third-tier English football match
"I think my transfer was a record between clubs in the division and I'd heard about the chairman, but only because he owned Harrods.
"He used to come in the changing rooms before games at home and he'd always ask: 'Have we got big balls today boys?'.
"We realised it was him getting his players ready to go to war, but initially it was quite a shock – especially when you'd just signed."
Al-Fayed's controversial mannerisms were described as risqué by the former Jamaica International, who admits they might not be accepted in the modern game.
En route to Fulham's debut Premier League season in 2001/02 following an 101-point campaign in the second tier, Al-Fayed had a tendency to hand out gifts,
Hayles added: "He started handing these pills out on one occasion and I had no idea what they were, the boys were saying: 'You know what these are for?"
"They said they were Viagra and I couldn't believe it, but that was just him."
On another occasion, the eyes of the Fulham squad lit up when the billionaire, with well-known connections to the Royal Family, began giving out gold bars.
He added: "We were told that we were getting gold bars worth millions but we then realised they were chocolates, which he thought was hilarious."
Hayles continued: "I don't think anyone else had a chairman who would walk around the pitch before matches and wave a flag around his head without fail, he was up stairs but hands on at the same time."
The veteran striker, who began his career as a right-back in non-league and was still playing last season at 51, grew close with Al-Fayed's son.
The Alexandria-born businessman had five children including Dodi, who was the romantic partner of Diana, Princess of Wales and died alongside her in Paris.
Hayles would speak to Al-Fayed's younger son Karim, who had picked out the former Bristol City man as his favourite player.
He said: "I was quite close with his younger son. We used to have chats in the changing room before games when he came along and he enjoyed it.
"He'd always say you're my favourite player and we'd sit close together because of his hearing difficulty.
"That was a nice memory of him and Al-Fayed being so close to the club."
During his 16-year tenure, in which he placed a statue of one-time spectator and friend Michael Jackson at Craven Cottage, Al-Fayed also made history in women's football.
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He turned Fulham professional after the FA announced they would do the same to the top-fight three years later, at a personal cost of around a million pounds a season.
He left the club in 2013 when selling up to Pakistani-American billionaire Shahid Khan after 12 interrupted Premier League seasons – with Fulham swiftly relegated and bouncing between the divisions since.
Hayles concluded: "He transformed the club and my life really."
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