AS A retired manager, you often wonder where some of your ex-players are now, obviously having all retired.

I was very upset to read the sad news that one of my ex-players, Dave Armstrong, had died recently.

On the same day his passing was announced, I read about the sort of money being spent by clubs on players these days.

He certainly would have been up there with the highly valued players if he was playing now. He was a total legend. When he signed for a then club record £600,000, it was a bit of a surprise to our supporters, as Dave had been playing for Middlesbrough.

I knew him, of course, as I was from the north east as well and I had always admired him.

Not only had he always played well, but he would play more often than not. He held a record in Middlesbrough, where he played 431 times, and he was ever-present with one long run of 305 league games over a seven-year period.

I knew about him as my old pal Jack Charlton had managed him for a while, and kept me informed. I remember it was difficult to persuade him to move away from the north east, bearing in mind it was probably the longest journey for him and his family to make.

It took a little while for him to settle in, on the pitch and in the dressing room, but he eventually became one of the most popular players on and off the field.

He did the same for us as he did for Boro – he hardly ever missed a game. He was everything you would want in a midfielder. He was a superb passer of the ball, and forwards loved the way he helped them.

I’m not sure that there are any players around at present who would have as many games in their career as him, having made over 700 appearances put together. After playing with us, his time was coming to an end, but he spent a little spell at Bournemouth, him and his family having settled on the south coast. But he finished his career not long after leaving Saints.

He carried on in the area, commentating on the radio. The other players pulled his leg, saying that if he had kept his hair on, he may have done television instead of radio!

He took all the leg-pulling with a great sense of humour, and he will be sadly missed, not just by those in the dressing room, but by supporters who will remember him as being outstanding, particularly in the side that finished the highest ever in the club’s history, in 1983-84. He was deservedly voted player of the season for his performances.

I know that other legends from the club are still around, such as Matt Le Tissier and Franny Benali, albeit not necessarily in the game, but available to do speeches and appearances. I remember when I used to be on that sort of circuit. Many other players and ex-managers were doing exactly the same.

Supporters like to hear some of the stories that couldn’t be told at the time they happened. It’s interesting to see that is still happening. There’s all sorts of interesting comments about colleagues, coaches, managers, and those up top in the boardroom, etcetera.

They’ll also often be able to highlight the best and worst games they went through over their careers.

Anyone looking for speakers at functions and dinners would be hard pressed to find more interesting speakers, and it helps the players from the past, with clubs able to assist in finding suitable players if you contact them.