The Bolton chief scout had seen the Senegalese defender playing for Istres in southern France and believed he had identified a player capable of making a significant impact in the Premier League.
He had watched him only a handful of times, but there was no hesitation in his recommendation.
"I'd seen him only a couple of times and really liked him. But I went to watch him in this game towards the end of the season when he got a booking in the game," Worthington tells Football Presse.
"It was a really tough tackle. Not only did he put the other player out, it was a fair tackle because he won the ball and he put the player over the touchline, but he injured himself as well."
It was the sort of performance that reinforced Worthington's belief in the defender. There was, however, an unexpected complication.
Worthington had not realised Faye had already accumulated four bookings. The yellow card he received meant a suspension, ruling him out of the final game of the season.
That was particularly frustrating because Allardyce wanted to see the player himself before approving the recruitment.
"I'd said to Sam, look, I've seen this player three times now and I'm sure he'd do for us. Abdoulaye Faye, and he was playing for Istres in southern France.
"I said he would definitely, 100 per cent do for us.
"And Sam said, well, look, get me a player next week. I'll go watch him in the final game of the season."
With Faye suspended, Worthington feared the opportunity had disappeared.
"So I thought, oh no, we've missed one here. We've absolutely missed a real quality lad."
But the story wasn't over. During the summer, Allardyce was still looking for another signing, either in midfield or at centre-back, and returned to Worthington's recommendation.
This time, the manager was prepared to trust his chief scout's assessment.
"He came to my office and he just said, 'Worthy, I'm going back. I've not seen the player. You've seen him. You know, you go. Are you telling me that he would be a definite fit in the Premier League?'
"And I said, he would do us a great job in midfield or centre-back or whatever. He'd do us a great job."
The question that put his job on the line
Then came the question that changed the nature of the conversation.
"And he said, would you lose your job if he comes and he doesn't succeed?"
For Worthington, this was no longer simply about recommending a player. Allardyce was asking him to put his professional reputation behind his judgement.
"I was chief scout on board, you know, and I'm thinking, oh my goodness, oh my goodness, would I lose my job for him? Is that a risk?
"And I thought about it and I thought, mortgage to pay, I've got family and still around, you know."
He considered the question for a couple of minutes. There was plenty at stake, but his conviction in Faye ultimately outweighed his concerns.
"And then I just went, yeah, I think he's good enough. I'm going to tell Sam, go and sign him.
"So I went from my office, knocked on his door and I just said, 'Gaffer, sign him.' I says, 'And I'll lose my job if he's not good enough.'"
It was a remarkable show of faith in a player he had watched only three times. Worthington had put his own position on the line, and Bolton subsequently secured Faye for what he remembers as €750,000.
The financial return alone made the decision look inspired.
"We got that boy for 750,000 euros. He came to Bolton, we sold him for six million."
From Bolton to Newcastle and Stoke
Faye's Bolton career also led to another reunion with Allardyce. When the manager left for Newcastle United, he took the defender with him, with Worthington recalling a further transfer worth £6 million.
Faye subsequently moved to Stoke City for what Worthington remembers as another £5-6 million.
"So he was an absolute hit," he reflected.
But the financial figures were only part of the satisfaction. For Worthington, the episode represented something fundamental about the job of a football scout: the ability to make a judgement, stand behind it and accept the consequences if it proves wrong.
Asked about the decision, he returned to the moment when he had walked into Allardyce's office and backed his assessment.
"And I'm just glad that I had the guts, you know, to go and say, yeah, I'll lose my job if he's not good enough.
"So I backed my judgement then.
"But I was a bit scared, I must admit."
Dave Worthington is author of "Worthy: The Scouting Adventures and Football Life of Dave Worthington" - which is available here.
