http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/evans-what-shanks-means-to-meThroughout Shankly week players and important figures from the past have had their say on one the greatest managers of all-time. Here bootroom apprentice turned manager, Roy Evans recalls his memories of the man who signed him up.
The name Bill Shankly goes hand in hand with that of Liverpool Football Club and the success we have enjoyed over the years.
Without Bill it wouldn't be the club with the proud traditions it has today.
I was only a young boy when he arrived. You could see Liverpool were moving in the right direction from that moment on and that they would be a force to be reckoned with.
Liverpool have won so much over the years, but for me that all started because of Bill Shankly.
I played for all the schoolboy teams and England schoolboys. I suppose I was a bit of catch at the time and I had a fair few scouts from various clubs knocking on the door every Sunday morning.
We went down to see Shanks and there he was, just being his enigmatic self. You sometimes wondered whether he was just putting a show on, but I think it was just because he was such a great speaker.
He sold the club to me and my Dad asked him how much they were going to offer us to pick Liverpool. He told him nothing. He said he just wanted me to sign for Liverpool.
My Dad told me about all the offers from other clubs and I just said 'Liverpool'.
Once I had committed myself, Shanks was fantastic.
People always say my career was cut short through injury, but that's a myth. I just wasn't good enough. That's how I ended up on the staff. I was fortunate enough to join the backroom team at an early age rather than go and sign for another team.
It was actually Bob who asked me to join the staff, Bill had gone by then.
But as a kid I used to go in every morning and Bill used to get changed next to me. We always got ready in the away team's dressing room and Bill would always come in and chat with us and not with the first-team.
He made statements of fact. "It's a great day today son," he'd say and you'd think no it's not, it's raining. He was a bit like chairman Mao that way.
People have tried to imitate him over the years, but Shanks was just natural. He believed everything he said to you and you took his word for it because he was the great Bill Shankly.
He was a man who could get the very best out of you, but he could also kill you with one sentence.
He was just so charismatic. I don't think he had everything as a manager because nobody does. But he had what it took to make Liverpool the great team that they became. He didn't inherit a top squad but he brought in Ian St John and Big Ron Yeats and that started it all off.
He wisely chose his staff and kept those that were already there. The likes of Bob Paisley and Reuben Bennett proved to be massive to him.
He wasn't so much a coach, more of a manager. He was the man who was behind the simplicity of the way Liverpool played; pass and move.
Simplicity is genius and only a few have succeeded in emulating that over the years.
I have no doubt that he made Liverpool. I don't think Liverpool would have reached the heights they have without Bill Shankly.
He built two great teams, but for me, the 1965 one will always be my favourite.
We know Bob took the club on even more in terms of winning trophies but it all evolved from Shanks' training and his methods.
When I took over as manager I had a picture taken and altered, with me in front of him adopting the same pose. It was because I was the last of the bootroom boys, but it was a bit of a cheek really because no-one could ever be like him.
He was a total one off and for Liverpool Football Club he was absolutely fantastic.
Well said Roy massive respect for you fella and I would love you back at Anfield working under Benitez, you are the only manager since Souness that tried to play the Shankly way the way you were educated and back then you made my Liverpool FC exciting to watch again and I'll always remember you fondly for that.
