'You felt better about the world after 10 minutes or more in Ray’s company'

It is hard to imagine now, in this era of micro-managed media opportunities, that a generation ago, football reporters could routinely shoot the breeze with leading players, without an agenda, tape recorder, or press officer in sight.

QPR were on my local beat as a young reporter, in the days when they were one of London’s top clubs and had stars such as Ray Wilkins and Les Ferdinand.

Les had the profile Harry Kane has now, a powerful goalscorer who’d come through the ranks via a series of loans and was constantly being linked with some of Europe’s top clubs.