One of Bill Shankly's first ever Anfield signings has told the inside story on his life in football in a new book released this week.

George Scott, who lives in Bebington, played for both Liverpool and Tranmere Rovers in his career, but it is his relationship with the Kop icon that forms the backbone of his autobiography.

'The Lost Shankly Boy' tells the enthralling tale of triumph over adversity and hope amid despair. It tells the the story of Scott, a poor boy from Aberdeen, who dreamed of a career in football and ended up rubbing shoulders with one of the game's managerial greats.

Bill Shankly would assemble a team to rival Manchester United's 'Busby babes' and one of his recruits in the process was 15-year-old George Scott - the lost Shankly boy.

Scott provides a fascinating insight into modern Liverpool's formative years and Shankly's Anfield. His is an untold story of a dream crushed and of a career rebuilt in Scottish football and taken to new heights in the South African Premier League.

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Here in an extract from the book, Scott describes how after Liverpool won the FA Cup at Wembley in 1965, his world fell apart when he opened a letter from the club just as he was about to go out celebrating back in Liverpool with teammate Peter Thompson.

The plan was to freshen up and then head into town with the rest of the squad and continue the celebrations into the night. As we were on our way out of the door, I noticed a letter addressed to me on the stand in the hall. 

On the envelope was the official crest of Liverpool Football Club. My first thought was that this would be confirmation of my new contract and promotion to the first team. 

In the previous 24 hours I had been given no reason to believe that I wouldn’t be starting my sixth season at the club after the summer was over. 

At my shoulder was Peter, urging me to toss the envelope aside and come out on the town with him.  It was never going to happen, and I think he knew that I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy myself, knowing that the letter was waiting for me, unopened on the hall stand. 

So, with a huge lump in my throat and a stomach in knots, I opened it. As I tore it open and pulled out the sheet of paper inside, I felt the tension threaten to overwhelm me. 

My eyes raced across the page, digesting every word, and as the reality soaked in, my heart sank. The letter was to inform me that the club had received an offer of £12,500 from Aberdeen Football Club for my transfer. 

It finished by telling me to contact the manager at my earliest convenience to discuss the matter in more detail.

It completely shattered me and, for a brief moment, I thought my knees would give way. I felt sick to my stomach and told Peter that I couldn’t join him and the other lads in town.  I would need to try to deal with this alone. 

Perhaps I should have expected this, but I just wasn’t prepared for it at all.

Liverpool were playing Inter Milan the following Tuesday in the first leg of the European Cup semi-final. Shankly played a masterstroke and sent Gerry Byrne and Gordon Milne out before kick-off to parade the FA Cup in front of a delirious crowd. 

It ramped up the atmosphere and the Reds saw off Milan 3-1. As I sat in the crowd, I realised that this would be the last time I would watch the team as a player of the club.

In my heart I was dreading the trip to Shankly’s office. I wanted to know if he was going to accept the offer, though I felt certain he would. 

I was desperate to speak to him, but at the same time I knew that as soon as I did, my dream would be over. 

At the end of that week, I finally plucked up the courage to see the boss. From the moment I walked in, he could see I was upset. 

For his part, I was surprised to see that he was uncomfortable too. He had always been a tough character, demanding and utterly driven. I hadn’t seen this side of him before. Then he spoke. 

His voice was full of compassion and empathy and it took me a little by surprise. It may have been easier if he had been rude to me, at least that way I could have been angry with him. 

Instead, he proceeded to deliver what must have been the kindest sacking ever implemented. As I struggled to hold back the tears, he sat back in his chair and said, ‘George, son, there are five good reasons why you should leave Anfield now’.

I looked at him, my eyes barely able to contain the tears. My face must have been an expression of sheer bewilderment. 

What were these five reasons? ‘What are they Boss?’

He paused, leaned forward and in a quiet voice he simply said, ‘Callaghan, Hunt, St John, Smith and Thompson’. 

The Lost Shankly Boy is on sale now in Waterstones and Lingham's in Heswall. It is also available online from Amazon.