MY memory takes me back to 2003, I think at the time I might have still been working with England but obviously I was living in the Southampton area. I got a call from Sir Alex Ferguson telling me which hotel they’d be in as they were due to play at St Mary’s on the Saturday.

I arrived, parked the car and he was waiting in the foyer. The players had checked in and were coming down from their rooms to have their evening meal. He called one over who immediately caught my attention because of his strange hairstyle, one part of it was a white line.

He told the player who I was and kept building me up to the extent that the player was just about standing to attention, before off he went. Alex was laughing and I asked ‘what was that all about’, he said it was a new signing and one of his first games.

But he said, ‘mark my words, he’s a bit special.’

As ever, Alex was right. It’s not often that a footballer’s transfer makes the headlines on the back page and also on the front page, but that’s what happened in the last week as Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United.

Ronaldo appreciated what Sir Alex had done all these years after by giving him credit for his return to Old Trafford, bearing in mind everything he has achieved over the years – he made the decision for one last move and could probably have gone to any of the biggest clubs in the world.

I’m sure the whole world of football will be watching his first games for United, he will obviously be more marked now than he was when nobody really knew him, all those years ago.

Looking back at the many players that I managed over the years, to look for any similarities, I had many at international level – obviously when I signed most of them it was at the end of their careers, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to afford to them – but the thing they all had in common was this desire to keep playing well.

I suppose my closest comparison, would you believe, would be Alan Ball. He didn’t have the strange hairstyle that Cristiano had but still had the golden coloured hair. His passion for the game was such that he just didn’t have to go out and show off his skills on the field, I’ve said many times that he was vital to me from Monday to Friday off the field.

The passion he showed every training session and in the changing rooms was a great influence on all the other players old and young, there were not many of them around and I presume even more so now with not so many players having such a long career as people like Alan did, back in those days.

When we talk about legends on the pitch, there’s always been certain clubs that stand out. I always had a lot of admiration for one or two of the bigger clubs, one being Arsenal. Their board of directors had a very close connection with our board of gentlemen.

One for instance is Mr Ken Friar, who, if you look at his record, started as an office boy in 1950. He is still connected to the club seventy years later. It was only about a year ago he came off the board of directors and was immediately made life president.

The reason I mention that is because I’m sure their supporters will not be nipping round to the pub, at the moment. Looking at the league table, even though it’s only been three games played so far, look where they are.

Bottom, played three, lost three, haven’t scored a goal but they’ve let nine in. And that’s not the only thing, look who’s top. Their biggest rivals Tottenham have played three, won three and haven’t let a goal in yet. I’m sure Arsenal will pick up eventually.

I know football has changed in many ways, but not from the point of view of how supporters feel about their own club and their biggest rivals. Long may it continue.