The story of Lou Macari transfer from Celtic to Man Utd via Liverpool

Macari, then 23, jumped in a car the next morning to travel down to England.

Passing places like Carlisle, Blackburn and Burnley, he began to ponder about where he was being taken, especially when he was told he’d be spending the night in Southport, home to a club then struggling in the lower reaches of the Football League.

To Macari’s relief, though, the party moved on the next day, further into Merseyside, where we dip back into the tale…

“I arrive at Liverpool FC,” recalled Macari. “I have five or six minutes to digest in my mind how I got here and I realise Stein and Shankly are the best of pals, big friends, similar backgrounds, top managers and before I know it, I’m in Bill Shankly’s office.

“He’s seen me play, likes me, says all the things I’d like to hear and then says, ‘I’m going to pay you £180 a week.’ What happened when you got transferred in those days was you got 5 per cent of the fee. I was going to be going for £180,000 and I’m quickly working out I’m £9,000 richer for that journey from my home to Liverpool.

“Shankly had to go because they were playing that night, so he went to the dressing room and I went to the director’s box. This guy walked in 10 minutes late for the game and sat down. It was Pat Crerand.