Billy Kenny recalls his Manchester United welcome and a memorable Scottish voice

Billy Kenny recalls recognising, as he arrived at Manchester United, the Scottish voice of a player who had just become the club’s first to score more than 20 league goals since George Best in the 1960s. In this autobiographical extract, the moment sets the scene for his first encounter with the first team, where a warm welcome and footballing prospects mingled with the young player’s awe.

Brian Kidd had introduced Kenny to the players by interrupting their conversation to draw attention to him: “Lads, this is Billy from up the road,” he said. Kenny remembers picking out several famous faces in the room. Once it fell quiet, Brian McClair asked whether he supported Everton or Liverpool. Kenny says he answered with a smile and a nod, prompting McClair to approve his reply.

The passage also describes the attention Alex Ferguson gave Kenny. Ferguson got up to hug him and said: “This is ma boy, this is ma boy …” He then explained that he had watched 20 minutes of Kenny playing for Liverpool schoolboys against Salford, after Eric Harrison had seen him several times. Ferguson spoke about the opportunity Manchester United could offer for his development, while Brian Kidd told him he could keep his training kit.

Kenny also remembers the few dozen trialists being mixed in with youngsters who had already signed, all wearing the club’s training gear. He recognised some from the Salford and Manchester schoolboys teams. Another memory is his repeated joke to Tommy — “Rock on, Tommy” — before they realised that Scottish television had left him unfamiliar with the catchphrases of Cannon and Ball.

The extract traces Kenny’s gradual introduction to the dressing room and its characters, through a blend of welcome, teasing and promises of development. Kenny says Ferguson presented a three-year professional contract as offering security if he chose United. He ends by saying he hopes the man he has been discussing is happy and healthy, wherever he is today.