Ally McCoist has told how he still winds up Sir Alex Ferguson over never signing him - as he recalled the days the managerial titan used to pick him up from school in East Kilbride.
As a youngster, McCoist attended Hunter High School in his home town and Sir Alex - a fellow resident at the time - would take him to training at St Mirren.
Speaking on Sky Bet's 'The Stud's Up Podcast' this week, he also told listeners how he the man who would go on to become a legendary figure at Aberdeen and Manchester United deemed Coisty to be 'too small' to make it.
But McCoist says he has had the last laugh after going on to enjoy a trophy-laden success at Rangers, becoming the only Scot to win the European Golden Shoe and one of a few to claim the accolade twice.
On Sir Alex - who won some 50 trophies, as well as European honours with the Dons and United - he explained: "He's a man that played a big part in my career.
"When I went to school at Hunter High, Sir Alex was just coming into management at St Mirren and I was training there with the kids, I think I was maybe 13,14.
"He would come up to my school at 4 o'clock, pick me up because he lived in the same town, and we'd drive over to Paisley with another lad called Stevie Cowan, who played with St Mirren and Aberdeen, and we would train with the kids.
"Sir Alex would do training with the first team and the reserves.
"He would then, after training - and this shows you how long ago it was - fling a couple of quid our way and Stevie and I would go round to the local fish and chip shop and get some chips, right - none of that salad and avocado stuff back in the day, it was a bag of chips after training.
"We would come back to Love Street at St Mirren and Sir Alex would have finished his work and then he would drive us home to East Kilbride and he would drop us off at my mum and dad's house, so it was a fantastic experience.
"It actually gets a little mention in his book as well."
And explaining how his time at the Buddies didn't work out, the former St Johnstone and Kilmarnock striker added: "He didn't sign me at St Mirren because, believe it or not, he thought I was too small, so every time I see him and every opportunity I get to see him, I walk up to him and I say look at the size of me, I've made up for it now Sir Alex, have I not?"
"He does enjoy a chuckle at that expense, so I still wind him up every time I see him.
"I say as good a manager as you were Sir Alex - and you were the absolute best in the business - I am living proof that not every manager gets it right."
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