I was in turmoil over Dortmund offer to leave Celtic but Billy McNeill eased it with 'farting into thunder' admission

Celtic and Scotland legend Murdo MacLeod is a walking miracle. He has twice battled life-threatening heart conditions and survived to tell the tale - and what a tale it is. His autobiography 'Murdo, Murdo' is the story of his fabulous football journey from the infamous 4-2 game to stopping 10-in-a-row and more in between. And, in an exclusive serialisation, we give readers an insight into this fantastic new book.

I was born and brought up on the west side of Glasgow. I had played for nine years wearing a Celtic shirt in the east end. I was living out my professional and private life in a 30-mile radius and approaching my 30th birthday.

I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I tried to say I moved to the Bundesliga and signed for Dortmund because I wanted to broaden my horizons, embrace a new culture and learn a different language. Borussia made me a financial offer that was life-changing and I couldn’t possibly have turned it down.

My mind was in turmoil because Billy McNeill was coming back in to manage Celtic and there was no figure associated with the club I respected more than big Billy. I told Billy exactly what I was going to get for moving to Germany and the manager who had looked after me at the pivotal moments in my life refused to stand in my way. “You’ve got to take it,” he said. “We’d be farting against thunder trying to compete with that kind of money.”

I had to be completely honest and truthful with the man who had signed me from Dumbarton in 1978 and shaped my career as a footballer. I got married while I was still a Dumbarton player and bought a house not far from their famous old ground, Boghead.

The house didn’t have a phone so when the doorbell rang and I opened it to find the manager, Alex Wright,