BILLY McNEILL lifted the European Cup when a Scottish side won club football’s greatest prize.

That will never happen again. This means there will never be another Big Billy and not only because of that magical day in 1967.

He is a true icon, a hero to many, especially Celtic fans, and there can’t be anyone who doesn’t respect him in a football sense and as a man.

It has been wonderful to see everyone in football coming together, putting rivalries to one side, to offer support to Billy and his family in the wake of the awful news he is suffering from dementia.

This doesn’t happen often enough. These days such rivalries seem as fierce as ever and yet everyone has been nothing but supportive since the news broke on Sunday.

I have been lucky enough to deal with him when he was manager of Celtic and then we worked together a few times, which for me was a great joy, on television and radio.

He is a man who achieved incredible things and yet remained humble.

As a young commentator it was a thrill to have him beside him in Saudi Arabia of all places when Scotland played there in 1988. He was the perfect guy because of his authority, love of football and he had a wonderful way of expressing himself.

He was a man in demand at World Cups from both the BBC and ITV. Billy knew his stuff and had a way about him which made him so easy to get on with.

Billy is a person of great grace and class. That’s what always struck me about him. You wouldn’t want to cross him; however, the way he treated people was superb. He carried himself so well.

We Aberdonians were delighted when Billy was appointed the manager after Ally McLeod left. Indeed, he did a lot of the groundwork which allowed Alex Ferguson to go on and do what he did.

Billy was great for Aberdeen. He brought a real confidence to the club and was huge in the development of Alex McLeish. He also signed Gordon Strachan.

He lived in Stonehaven, about 20 miles south of the city, and I know his wife Liz really took to the area. There was only one club he would have left for.

It was his second time as manager of Celtic when as a journalist I started to deal with him. He couldn’t have been nice. He was great for a young guy such as myself to deal with, even if I was in awe of the man.

Every football fan knows about the Lions and who their leader was and, boy, did the captain lead by example.

Billy McNeill the football was a brilliant player. When you say his name, you think of a time when Scottish football had its house in order.

I always felt his achievements as a manager were undervalued by some. It’s important to remember that, second times around, he was up against a Rangers who were spending a lot more money for Celtic.

And he did win a Double during that period.

It would be fair to say that it was hardly a secret that Billy was suffering, but it wasn’t something anyone was going to speak about in public. I have to say I thought his wife Liz came across wonderfully when she spoke about what they had been doing through.

Getting to know Billy McNeill has been one of the greatest thrills of my life. He remains a very special guy.