I worked as a maintenance joiner for a number of years at a large catholic college in Sandfield Park, West Derby. During the summer of 1960, we were playing cricket at lunchtime when a head appeared over the wall, and in a thick Scottish accent said, “What are you playing that sissy game for?” One of the workmen played for Swindon Town and told us that it was Bill Shankly.

We told Bill that we didn’t have a football as the college only played cricket and rugby, to which he replied he would be back in ten minutes. Sure enough, ten minutes later Bill returned with a football, wearing a tracksuit and football boots. We set up a pitch on the grass and used jumpers for goal posts and started to play a small match. Shankly played this small 3vs3 as if it was a cup final, telling the lads to stop whinging if they were tackled hard!

From then onwards, he turned up regularly for about 4-5 weeks, but unfortunately some members of staff had called in to pick up papers and saw Shankly playing with us and wanted to join in. The word spread fast and in the end Bill told us he would have to give it a miss, calling the end of our football.