I lived in Glasgow as a boy. My family had lived at No 46 Glenacre Drive, which was a tenement building, like a block of flats in a U shape. There was a staircase in the middle and a flat on either side, then there was a huge opening out to the back, where there was a field. It was a typical Glasgow building.

We lived there with my mother’s mother, Agnes MacPherson. But as the family grew, we moved into a five-bedroom council house on Arnprior Road, which was just two minutes away.

My grandmother had cataracts, so she needed help about the place — she was housebound, really: they didn’t have the facilities back then, or the opportunity, to get an operation. My elder brother, John, stayed with her first, and when I was 10 I lived with her for nearly a year.

My grandmother was lovely, wonderful. We were only 300 yards from the family, so my mother would do the dinner and we’d ferry it back to her. I was just there for company at night.

In the evening, her treat was a bar of Fry’s Chocolate Cream and two slices of bread, and my job was to get it for her.

Above me lived Arthur Graham, who went on to play for Aberdeen, Leeds, Manchester United and Scotland. He had two brothers: David, who was older than me, and Thomas, and we’d all play football together. As far back as I can remember, I played football. The field out the back was a massive piece of land, a utility for all the community. There would be loads of lads out there playing, or you’d just go out and hit the ball against the wall.

I went to St Julie’s primary school, which was next to our house. I played football at school, as well. When I was nine, I was picked to play in the elevens team. I was small but could shoot far. Playing with older boys was no problem — I was used to playing against 23-year-olds on the big pitch. Everybody would be out there playing.

I was good at maths at school. When I left, I went to work for J&B Whisky as a shipping clerk. I was there for six months, but I was always bored.

My father worked as an engineer and a labourer. He had an accident when we were young — he had 200 stitches in his back, which was always a problem for him, and there wasn’t a lot of work about anyway. My mother had fourchildren to look after: John, Ken, Yvonne and me. We were the same as everybody else in the area, though. It was very working class, and there wasn't a lot of work around.

It was a tough area. You wouldn’t want to be going near the chip shop on a Friday or Saturday night — that was where the gangs met and there could be plenty of trouble. Around the shopping centre there would be alsatian guard dogs but that wouldn’t stop people from trying to get in.

My brothers were good footballers. They had trials in London when they were 16 or 17; both had the opportunity to make it. My father played for Glasgow; he was a centre forward.

In the area there were so many kids who were great players — people like the Grahams and Welshs — much more so than today. We had nothing else to do back then. From a very young age, I wanted to play football.

I was a Celtic fan, and I went to plenty of games. Back then you’d get someone to lift you over the turnstile. I saw Celtic beat Hibernian in the cup final of 1971 — they won 6-0 or 6-1. I also saw Scotland play Northern Ireland, with Jennings in goal. Dad always looked out for Ireland, but we also looked out for Northern Ireland because of George Best.

My first pair of football boots were Stylo because they were George Best’s boots. They had a really low heel, which was a terrible cut. They weren’t very comfortable; you always thought they were going to slip off.

I was small for my age, but when I was 10 it didn’t matter — I played for the Glasgow boys’ team at that stage. But by the time I got to 12 everybody else was growing except me.

You’d hear the same old rubbish from managers: “You’d be on the team if you were bigger.” It just made me more determined. Even when I got a chance at West Ham, it was the same old concern. At 17 I was 5ft 7Åin and I was light as well, just 9st 4lb.

The family moved to London when I was 10 in 1972. We moved to try to get work. John, who was 18, was becoming a mechanic, so they felt he’d have better opportunities in London. Ken had finished school as well — you left at 15 back then — and he was going on to become a carpenter.

It was sad to leave Glasgow and all the mates you grew up with. I’ll never forget the night we left — it was Guy Fawkes’ night and everybody was out at bonfires and setting off firecrackers.

Ray Houghton will be on the RTE panel for today’s final of the Confederations Cup in South Africa

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