Football has a habit of throwing up intriguing sideshows.

The player facing his old club shortly after leaving them, the owners vacating one Premier League club for another they have supported all their lives.

Or, in Marcos Painter’s case, finding on your home debut that you are up against the manager you credit with progressing your career.

Painter makes his Withdean bow tomorrow against Kenny Jackett’s Millwall.

The left-back on loan from Swansea was signed by Jackett for the Welshmen from Birmingham and speaks warmly about the time he spent under his command.

“To start with he signed me on loan for a month and then permanently,” Painter said. “He was good, I enjoyed it.

“I know at the time when I went to Swansea he was getting a lot of stick from the fans because of the expectations.

“They wanted the club to be higher than the position they were in then and the manager always takes the stick for that.

“I have got nothing against him. I sort of owe him because he gave me the chance to progress in my career, bringing me from Birmingham and allowing me to play some first team football at Swansea.

“He’s a decent bloke and a decent manager. I’m not surprised at all that he is doing well at Millwall.

“Every club he has been at, as far as I know, have always been successful and there or thereabouts, around the play-offs and sometimes even promotion. He knows what he is doing as a manager, without a doubt.”

Read more of our interview with Marcos Painter in The Argus today