Ferguson's fond memories of Stein

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson still misses Jock Stein 20 years after the death of the legendary Scottish boss.

The Old Trafford boss was in the Scotland dug-out as assistant to the former Celtic manager on for the World Cup qualifying draw against Wales on September 10, 1985.

Stein collapsed before the end of the match, which the Scots drew 1-1 to earn a play-off place against Australia.

But the first man to lead a British team to European Cup glory – with the Hoops in 1967 – passed away in the dressing room at Ninian Park.

Ferguson told The Scotsman: “To this day, I still miss those night sessions we would have in the team’s hotel when he was manager of Scotland and I was his assistant.

“He hardly slept, of course, and would sit up all night talking if you let him.

“At about 3am, I’d say: ‘Jock, it’s all right for you, but I’m taking training in the morning and I’ll have to get to my bed’.

“He would say: ‘Ach, you can have a nap in the afternoon’. Then he’d turn to Jimmy Steel, the masseur and a wonderful character and say, ‘Steely, order another pot of tea’.

“But it was inspiring listening to him talk. With some men who get a bit of success, there is a bit of me, me, me in their conversation, telling you what they did and how they did it.

“Whenever I asked Jock about his great Celtic teams and how they did what they did, especially in specific matches like, say, the European Cup final, he never once mentioned his own part.”