Poom: Pride of Estonia (GaryMPrior/Allsport)

There was, however, a time when Estonia's best-known footballer wondered if he would ever make it in England.

Poom, 28, is currently midway through his fifth season at Derby County and his stock has perhaps never been higher. But it was at Portsmouth where he first hooked up with Smith five years ago - and it was a union that didn't last very long.

'I brought him over as he was a great prospect but he just couldn't shift our veteran Alan Knight out of the team,' recalled Smith.

'He played, but not often, and then he encountered work permit problems and had to go back home. At that stage his future was in doubt but I kept an eye on him and as soon as I could, I got him over to join me at Derby.'

As Smith reflects on a season that has already brought him closer to despair than he would have wished, the Derby boss increasingly grateful that Poom eventually made the grade in England.

Although much has been made of the arrival of defender Taribo West and new assistant manager Colin Todd, Derby's improvement after a ragged start over the last two months has certainly been helped by the consistency of their goalkeeper.

Poom was integral in securing a point for his side at Manchester City on Boxing Day, while his performance during the 1-0 win over Everton on Monday was the only tangible difference between the teams.

Blessed with a goalkeeper's frame, 6ft 5in Poom has the look of a natural athlete. But an astonishing daily schedule that often keeps him on the training field until 5.30pm also plays its part.

'Where I am now is all down to hard work,' said Poom. 'Estonia is not a country famous for football, so you have to work twice as hard and for twice as long to make it in the game. Nobody from there really plays in the top leagues but from the start I wanted to go far in the game.

'I never really considered that I might not make it when I left Portsmouth but it was hard. It only made me more determined. It was a bad day but I promised myself I would be back in this country one day.

'As it turned out, I was away for a year. When I came back and joined Derby I promised myself I would work harder and harder. Sometimes they have to drag me off the training field.

'You can never relax. There are always things you can work on. I do quite a few double sessions with the coaches here and I am glad that it's paying off at the moment.

'Earlier in the season, I just could not keep a clean sheet to save my life. Even playing for Estonia against Andorra we were 2-0 up with a minute to go and they scored a penalty.'

Resident in Derbyshire for more than four years now, Poom considers himself an honorary Englishman. His son was born in Derby and next year Poom will apply for British citizenship.

He remains, however, immensely proud of a country in which he grew up watching snowy pictures of English football on TV. Yet, despite having more than 70 caps to his name, he is not the most famous sportsman to emerge from his tiny nation.

That honour goes to Olympic gold medal decathlete Erki Nool, while former NBA basketball star Martin Muursepp also leaves Poom trailing in third, at least in his own opinion.

Aware that his country will perhaps never play in major finals, Poom knows the Premiership is his big stage.

'Perhaps when you play in a team sport it is harder to get the recognition but I know my people are proud of me,' he said.

'It can also be frustrating that Estonia are not a bigger team. Sometimes I dream of playing in the World Cup.

'I know I will never play on that stage but I am proud to be an Estonian. Nothing will change that. We are a small nation and we try to be role models for our young children. I would like to think they can see that if they work hard, they can make it in professional football.

'I used to watch a lot of football on TV when I was young. We used to pick up Finnish TV signals and watch the English games.

'I grew up as a Manchester United follower but when I came here I knew all about Peter Shilton and what he did at Derby.'

Perhaps it would be asking too much of a young man from Estonia to eclipse the popularity felt for one of England's greatest goalkeepers but Poom is giving himself a chance.

A visit to Pride Park these days will invariably lead to newcomers asking why the home crowd seem to boo their goalkeeper. It is, of course, not boos but great cries of 'Pooooom! Pooooom!'.

In response, the goalkeeper will bow before his public and is becoming something of a cult figure. Walking down the street in Derby is not as simple as it once was.

'Yes, I do get the odd call of "Pooooom" and it can be amusing,' laughed Poom, whose mother visited for the holiday wins over Newcastle and Everton.

'It is usually young kids who do it. I am used to it now and don't tend to bow in response. The feeling is mutual, though. I love them, too.