FOOTBALLING next door neighbours Charlie Nicholas and Jim Duffy returned to their childhood homes to kick off a multi-million pound housing investment.

The Celtic and Scotland legend, Nicholas, and former Partick Thistle and Dundee star, now Morton boss, Duffy, grew up in Wyndford.

In the 1980s as they started out on their careers, the pair were pictured in the Evening Times at their flats in the Maryhill area.

The friends got together to recreate the old photo as they launched Cube Housing’s £40m community investment programme.

The cash will see almost 3000 homes across the Cube estate, including Wyndford, upgraded internally with new bathrooms and hundreds being fitted with new windows and heating systems.

New CCTV will be installed and new outdoor lighting to make communities safer.

The football stars were pleased to see the investment in the area.

Sky Sports pundit Nicholas, said: “I’m chuffed to bits to see the money that’s been spent here.

“I’ve tremendous memories from growing up in the Wyndford. It was a great community the sort of place where you could leave your front and back doors open. There was a real togetherness.”

Morton manager, Duffy, said: “Wyndford is a place where families have lived for generations.

“The importance of community should never be undervalued.

“Investment like this to keep homes in good condition is appreciated by people and it means people will want to stay here.

“I couldn’t have had a better place to grow up in.

“When the quality of homes is of a good standard people won’t want to move away. I’m delighted Cube are investing in Wyndford.”

As well as Wyndford, improvement work will take place in Broomhill, and in Cube communities across the west of Scotland.

Liz Ruine, Cube Chair, said: “We want all our customers to live in top-quality, modern homes and then to step outside into a community they feel safe in.

“All of us at Cube are really looking forward to working with local people in each of our neighbourhoods on bringing forward environmental improvements people tell us will make the biggest difference to their community.”