Hicham Zerouali the Aberdeen cult hero and Moroccan magician who passed away in his prime

What makes a football cult hero?

Every fan has worshipped one while following their team but they weren’t necessarily the best player in the team.

And neither were they a club legend - the type of loyal servants who end up with statues outside the ground.

But a cult hero requires several ingredients that separate them from other players and above else they win a place in the hearts of the supporters.

The fact they are often not the star of the team is one thing that earns them cult hero status but their commitment makes up for any lack of quality.

There is usually one weakness that stands out and there is a ‘What could have been?’ without those flaws.

Then again, if it wasn’t for that weakness - or weaknesses - then there’s every chance they wouldn’t have been at your club!

Arriving from foreign shores, but adapting to local culture, is usually another factor in cult heroes which adds to that magic and mystery and cements the special bond with the fans.

This week Record Sport will be looking at some of Scottish football’s biggest cult heroes of the noughties.

And kicking off our series is Moroccan Hicham Zerouali who spent three years with Aberdeen after arriving from Saudi Arabia in 1999 and became a firm favourite but it’s also a tale of tragedy after he was killed in a car accident, aged just 27.

How did he end up Scotland?

Aberdeen manager Ebbe Skovdahl signed Zerouali in November 1999 from Moroccan side FUS de Rabat.

They paid a fee of £450,000 after the recommendation of the club's director of football, Keith Burkinshaw.

Why did the fans love him so much?

When Zerouali moved to the Granite City, the Dons were deep in a relegation battle with lots of pressure on their new recruit to deliver.

And that's exactly