Over 48 years ago, Bill Shankly invited journalists assembled at Anfield to walk into the home dressing room and inspect the latest addition to his squad.
"I've just signed a colossus - come in and walk round him", he proclaimed as he ushered them in to inspect the newly acquired Ron Yeats. Towering over six foot in height, it was evident to see why centre-half known by the Kop as 'Rowdy' left a lasting impression on his fellow Scot.
"I came from Aberdeen which is a long distance from here and obviously missed my mother and father as well. He was like a father to me," says Ron, now 72.
"I'll always remember him saying 'we'll get you a house near the training ground Ron' which was great because I was married and had a little kiddie.
"He put me in a new house in West Derby, a beautiful house and I would have enjoyed it but he only lived 200 yards away from us! So every morning he would knock on my door asking, 'Is the big man ready for training?' There was no escape from him!
"There was a bus stop right outside my house and of course as we got more and more popular they're looking out the windows so I asked him to give me somewhere else. So he said 'no problem' and got me a house in Maghull, away from the bus stop!"
The arrival of Yeats from Dundee United, along with compatriot Ian St John from Motherwell, in the summer of 1961 was described by Shanks as "the very beginning of Liverpool's rise".
And big Ron took to Shankly's revolutionary training methods like a duck to water, having been in the British Army prior to joining the ranks at Melwood.
"Before Bill Shankly came, players used to do road running," he said.
"I wouldn't have been running from Anfield right down to Melwood, which is one hell of a distance, and then train like they did. It didn't do them any good.
"His fitness regime however was wonderful. When I say wonderful, I mean it was wonderful for him but it was torture for us! But we were fit; 90 minutes or whatever, we could play.
"I'm glad of it because as a player you do wild things while you've got the chance but he made sure you didn't.
"I was made up because I was in the army and probably had an edge on some of my team mates because it was hard work and I played in the army team so there was an emphasis on fitness all the time."
Under the stewardship of the great man, Liverpool won promotion from the Second Division, two League Championships, one FA Cup, two Charity Shields and finished runners up in the European Cup Winners' Cup.
As Anfield prepares to mark the 50th anniversary of Shankly's arrival as Reds manager before tonight's league clash with Wigan Athletic, Yeats has paid tribute to the legacy of his former boss left at L4 and believes that the great Scot would have had a few choice words about the extra curricular activities of the modern generation of players.
"Players are a different breed now," he concedes.
"I couldn't see Bill Shankly putting up with some of their activities. He was a disciplinarian. If he said something that he wanted you to do, it would be for your own good.
"He probably frightened a lot but never did anything but when he threatened you he made you think 'I'm not doing that again!'
"I never saw him lose his head talking to the players or anybody really; that's the kind of man he was. He was a man that thought 'well I've said it now and I mean it. And if you don't want to do it my way you won't do it at all'."
"He would have made sure that if you were fit, you would play. If you've won the game, you'll play the week after.
"The players today don't know if they'll be playing the week after a good win but with us it was a case of 'same team next week' if we won. If you were injured, you had to fight your way back."
When asked if Bill Shankly was the single greatest figure in Liverpool FC's vast history, Yeats added: "He definitely was the greatest figure in my career as a footballer. I loved the man, he was absolutely brilliant."
