The man Bill Shankly dubbed his 'colossus' remembers the manager who made Liverpool Football Club.

When I hear the name Bill Shankly, the first thing that comes to my mind is a lovely man, with good manners, who was passionate about football and a winner.

The first time I met him, I was playing for Dundee United and was also in the British army on two-year service - so I have fought for my country as well as Liverpool Football Club!

It was a role I enjoyed immensely, because I was captain of the side at the time, so it meant I wasn't doing much marching or anything like that.

I was stationed at Aldershot at the time, and I got a telegram from Dundee United. It never revealed much, it just told me to report to Edinburgh and there was an English team trying to sign me, but it didn't say who.

I was ready for the move because I'd played in the British army team with a lot of good players. Alec Young of Everton played in that side, Tottenham's Dave McKay too. It was a very good side and I was fortunate to be in it too.

I'd taken three days in leave to travel up in the car, but you couldn't leave the Barracks without wearing your uniform.

Unfortunately for me, I was so broad that they couldn't get a uniform to fit me, so I was left wearing a World War one uniform. I felt like a right wally, but I couldn't change because they wouldn't let me go otherwise.

I recall walking through the hotel in Edinburgh in the army boots that made me three inches taller with the heels and soles.

A man began to walk towards, stopped right in front of me and says, 'Jesus Christ son, you're some size aren't you?'

I told him I was 6ft 3ins and he said, ' You look more than that to me. I'm Bill Shankly, manager of Liverpool Football Club.'

It was the first time Liverpool had been mentioned, so I was pleased to hear it!

I told him I was willing to sign for Liverpool - I felt I'd done enough for Dundee United and wanted something else.

Shankly took me back to Liverpool, with, I think, the chairman of the club driving us down in a Rolls Royce. Shanks and I sat in the back, but I never managed to get a word in for the five hours the journey took!

He told me what his plans were, who he was going to sign, and the rest.

I was really taken with him and thought 'I like this man'. He was very positive - Bill Shankly was always positive - and I was pleased to listen to him. I signed a two-year deal with the club.

He was great to play for. You knew what he wanted from you and he was very positive in his outlook on the game. He wanted to play football, and by that I mean a passing game.

I don't know why he signed me then, because I was a tackler and a header! I could pass the ball, but only over small distances.

Shanks was a very passionate man. I couldn't see any weaknesses in him and I don't know anyone who played under him ever saying a bad word about him.

He wasn't the sort of manager that, if you had been beaten, came into the dressing room and slated everyone. He would go home, think about the game, and have everyone in on the Monday, and then if he had something to say to you, he would do it then and discuss what went wrong.

I think one of his greatest achievements at the club was winning the first division. We had such a good team in the second division that we could have gone on holiday in the April and still won it - we were so good.

We were a team and everyone played for each other. You don't get much of that these days, I imagine.

If you made a mistake, there was no balling and shouting, someone else would cover for you.

Shanks appreciated that and he installed it during the week. We used to play umpteen games against the reserves with the team he thought he was going to pick on the Saturday.

We had some good reserves, so they were hard games and there was no holding back either, so on the Saturday it was a case of the same thing.

I don't think there will ever be anyone like him again. Managers don't work in the same way Bill Shankly did. He was dedicated to the club. Most of the managers now have a life at home, but I don't think Shanks did because he was always at the club or training ground.

I think it's fair to say he made Liverpool Football Club, but I personally don't think he gets the adulation or praise he should do.

Without that man coming to our club, we wouldn't be seeing Liverpool the way it is today.