In those days I didn't need to go to the gym much because I was naturally fit and healthy. I suppose it was this natural ability to be fit without the need to engage in weight training, and circuit training that almost took me into the limelight with the Scottish Champions (Celtic) as a professional footballer. 8th January, 1974, was the day I had arrived by train into Glasgow central, at the start of a month long trial, with the Lisbon Lions...
I was 18 years old, and I was met at the train station by Sean Fallon, the then Caretaker Manager of Celtic Football club. I was supposed to have been greeted by Jock Stein himself, but he had been involved in a serious road traffic accident, and was hospitalised. Our local village football team (St Mary's Catholic football club) was managed by a boyhood friend of Jock Steins, named, Mr Hagatty. I used to play football on Saturday and Sundays every week-end. In the season prior to my departure up to Glasgow I had netted 74 goals whilst playing for teams on the Saturday and the Sunday. I was regarded as a prolific goal scorer, a talent which had been recognised since I was 14 years of age. As a schoolboy footballer, I was signed up with Huddersfield town on school boy forms. I had had trials with Hull city (as a goal keeper), with Shrewsbury Town, as an inside left, and Sheffield Wednesday as a centre half. When I went to Glasgow Celtic, I was being touted as a prolific goal scoring centre forward. But, Celtic already had a legend in the making, a bloke named Kenny Dalgliesh, he was a year older than me, but already somewhat established in the squad, and earmarked as a potential superstar of the future...