Thrown in with Giggs and Beckham: how Manchester United tried to get Billy Kenny

Former Everton midfielder, known as the ‘Goodison Gazza’, recalls being made to feel special by Alex Ferguson in this autobiography extract “So this is the scouser ya been goin’ on aboot then …” My face turned Manchester United red.

Scanning the room full of smiles and staring eyes, I identified the mystery Scottish voice as the man who’d just become the first player to score more than 20 league goals for the club since George Best in the 1960s. “Good answer,” replied Brian McClair after following up on my smile and nod by asking whether I supported Everton or Liverpool. “Ye’ll dee well ’ere laddie.” Brian Kidd had just introduced me to the Man United first team by silencing the room to draw attention to my presence. “Lads, this is Billy from up the road,” he said.

I was still starstruck from seeing all these famous faces as my chauffeur for the day, Eric Harrison, pulled up in the car park at The Cliff a few minutes earlier. Paul McGrath.

Mark Hughes. Bryan Robson.

Kevin Moran. Norman Whiteside.

I ticked them all off in my head. Thank fuck I was developing an ear for everyday Glaswegian because after a bit of piss-taking from the first-teamers about being a scouser, I found myself

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  Thrown in with Giggs and Beckham: how Manchester United tried to get Billy Kenny