Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has steadfastly maintained that his side's appearance in the Europa League Final tomorrow has nothing to do with good fortune. And he's right. Wins over some of the best teams in Europe have been achieved by well-drilled organisation, hard graft and an unshakable belief among the upstarts from west London that they could continue to defy the odds throughout the season.

But on the eve of the biggest game in Fulham's history, against Atletico Madrid in Hamburg, goal hero Zoltan Gera has revealed just how important a part luck has played in his journey from Hungary to this north German port by way of Craven Cottage.

"It is true," he said. "I am so lucky not to be in jail for doing bad things. Or even worse, dead."

As a youngster, Gera was driven to the brink by drink, drugs and gambling. He was saved by finding God and now he hopes his remarkable story will serve as an example of how a life tainted by despair can become one graced with hope.

Gera is the human power station who has energised Fulham ever since Hodgson snapped him up on a free transfer from West Brom two summers ago.

This season, in particular, scampering to and fro just behind striker Bobby Zamora, he has racked up more mileage than any of his team-mates and they all put in a lot of effort.

That productivity has been rewarded with vital goals, including the late winner in a dramatic semi-final, second leg against mighty Hamburg of the Bundesliga that took Fulham through to their first European final.

What makes Gera's form all the more remarkable is that doctors once told him he had subjected his body to so much abuse, through the imbibing of alcohol and illegal substances, that he would never realise his dream of playing football at the highest level.

Gera recalled: "I was very, very skinny because I did lots of bad things. Doctors said I would never be a professional football player because my body was no longer good enough."

It is hard to equate this softly-spoken 31-year-old, who is as pleasant and polite as they come, with the young teenager who betrayed his natural talent for playing football by becoming a tearaway after falling into the wrong company.

Gera offers no excuses for taking a wrong turn. Looking back on his upbringing in the city of Pecs, close to Hungary's border with Croatia, he said: "We were neither rich nor poor. My parents gave me everything I asked for and we had enough food to eat."

Football became a first love and Gera was very good at it. "I played differently, a little better than everyone else," he said.

That was before his head was turned by feral influences at school. Older students regaled Gera and his mates with tales of wild adventures.

He said: "They told us how good it was to smoke and go wherever you pleased, with no one telling you what to do. We felt they were waking us up to what real life was about.

"We started missing our lessons. I spent my breakfast money on casinos and started to miss my football training sessions as well. We formed a gang. We broke windows just for the fun of it and some of us smoked."

Worse was to come. Gera said: "I went to a casino where I met some guys. They asked me why I would not give it [drugs] a try? First, just out of curiosity, I watched them do it. I ended up doing it with them.

"This is when I started to think about the meaning of life and what I wanted to end up doing.

"I planned to become a criminal, a real godfather, feared by all, who robs people and fights them every day."

By the age of 16 Gera had abandoned school and football.

Luckily, he had not been abandoned by his father who persuaded this errant son to visit the local church. "I was shocked to see people happily smiling and singing," he said.

"On our way home I asked my father why the people were singing and clapping together. He told me that they were singing to God because they had experienced His presence. Right then, I had a good feeling."

Having found faith, Gera found football again. Alas, his wayward lifestyle had taken a toll. "I looked like a skeleton," he said. "I remember that I often had to stop training because I had pain in my joints."

Doctors offered no hope but Gera found it elsewhere. He explained: "The Bible says whatever the locust and the worm devours, God will restore."

Fifteen years on and a fully restored Gera has captained his national side, made 63 appearances for the Mighty Magyars, and been named Hungarian Player of the Year on three occasions.

Watch him tomorrow in the Europa League Final against Atletico Madrid and his contribution to Fulham's cause will not be hindered one jot by the excesses of his past.

"I'm a Christian and I believe God gives me lots of energy," said Gera. "But of course, you also need to work hard. You need to do your best at your job and it will pay off. I was a bad boy but I changed. That's why I want to be a good example. It doesn't matter how old you are, you can turn your life to the good way. It doesn't matter where you have been before, you can still play in a football final."

As part of that message, Gera last week helped the Fulham Football Club Foundation present a cheque for £20,000 to the Sports Action Zone (SAZ) in Lambeth which will invest the money in new floodlights for their community football pitch.

Gera watched some of the youngsters from SAZ being put through their paces and the memories came flooding back for the playmaker.

He smiled and said: "Every single day I think about where I was 15 years ago and where I am today. It's been an amazing journey for me. Yes, I have been so lucky."