“Thrown in with Giggs and Beckham: How Manchester United Tried to Get Billy Kenny” — what this page in the network covers. The Guardian Football Oct 3, 2026 • 7:00 AM 1 views Former Everton midfielder Billy Kenny, once dubbed the 'Goodison Gazza', reveals in his autobiography extract how Alex Ferguson and Manchester United rolled out the red carpet to try to sign him as a teenager.
Kenny recounts being introduced to United's first-team stars at The Cliff training ground by Brian Kidd, with legendary names like Paul McGrath, Mark Hughes, Bryan Robson, and Norman Whiteside all present. The young Scouser was left starstruck, but a cheeky exchange with Brian McClair helped break the ice: 'So this is the scouser ya been goin' on aboot then,' before approving, 'Ye'll dee well 'ere laddie.' The extract details the lengths United went to in order to make Kenny feel special, including being driven by youth coach Eric Harrison and meeting Ferguson himself. This listing links straight to the original page, where the content is available in full.