A STARRING role in Cherries’ original Great Escape was the perfect grounding for Scott Mean to carve out a career in acting.

The gifted playmaker hit five goals in Cherries’ final six games of the 1994-95 season to help Mel Machin’s Braves come back from the dead.

Despite his heroics, Mean, who was on target in the memorable 2-1 victory at Brentford and also put the finishing touches to Cherries’ 3-0 win over Shrewsbury, missed his first big break.

“They made a video but I wasn’t in it!” laughed Mean. “Both me and Neil Young were on the beach when Willo phoned to say we had to get to the ground to start filming. But it was boiling on the beach so we didn’t go. They only used clippings of us two.”

Mean enjoyed a fruitful first spell at Dean Court before his return was dogged by a knee injury that eventually forced him to call time on his playing career.

“I hit a purple patch at the end of that season and then wrecked my knee the following year,” he said. “I remember the Great Escape well. We had nine points at Christmas and most people had written us off.

“Mel had put together his own team and we had an unbelievable run in the second half of the season. Brentford was the big one. They were going for promotion and were by far the best team in the league. The atmosphere was amazing.

“We went 3-0 up after 20 minutes against Shrewsbury and it was all done and dusted. Mark Morris, our captain, made sure we didn’t showboat or take the Mickey. We were a young side and he was massive for us.”

Mean left Dean Court for West Ham on transfer deadline day in March 1996. The deal was expected to earn Cherries £750,000, although it was put on ice while he tried to prove his fitness during a loan spell.

“I failed the medical because my knee was in tatters,” said the 37-year-old. “Harry Redknapp agreed to keep me on loan and things started to get better. I signed a three-year contract and went on a pre-season tour to Scotland.

“I was surrounded by players like Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Eyal Berkovic and it was great to play alongside players like them. It made the game much easier.

“But I kept breaking down and kept making excuses. I came back to Bournemouth and gave it one final go. In the back of my mind, I always knew it would probably be my last chance.

“I had lost a yard and the knee was always in the back of my mind. The doctor eventually advised me not to have any more operations so I hung them up for good about 10 years ago.”

Mean “fell” into acting through a contact at West Ham and won his first part as England footballer Parksey alongside Ricky Tomlinson in the film Mike Bassett: England manager. He also spent two years on the cast of Sky’s Dream Team and had parts in The Bill and Eastenders.

“I was getting by,” he said. “But the past three years have been terrible and the acting work has dried up. I’ve been ducking and diving and doing anything just to keep my head above water. I recently just missed out on regular parts in both Eastenders and Hollyoaks.

“I need to do jobs where I can drop everything for an audition. I’m doing the Knowledge (learning taxi routes around London) and am working towards being a cabbie.

“Acting is the next best thing to playing football because you still get the buzz. Hopefully, my big break will come sooner rather than later.”