Stan Collymore is not the most popular man in the country, even less so with Manchester United fans. If beating women doesn’t turn you off him, or his liking for watching others get it on in carparks, then his irritating ABU stance on TalkSport and in his column in The Mirror ought to.

In his playing days, Collymore left Nottingham Forest for Liverpool in the summer of 1995, after an impressive record of 41 league goals in 65 games. However, this move, which was a British transfer record, only took place after his preferred deal to Manchester United collapsed.

The following extract is taken from Andy Mitten’s chapter on Andy Cole in his brilliant new book, Glory Glory!. which recounts Collymore’s frustration when learning that his agent, Paul Stretford, who was also Cole’s agent, got Andy the move to United that he craved for.

Mark Hughes was 31 and Ferguson had spoken to Everton manager Joe Royle about taking Hughes. Ferguson felt that teams were changing their tactics to play United, becoming more trenchant and defensive. His solution was to find a striker who was so quick he could create spaces in tighter areas in the box. Two were identified: Andy Cole and Stan Collymore at Nottingham Forest.

Collymore had performed exceptionally well in games for Forest against United and, with speculation reaching fever pitch, was expecting to join United.

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard,” said Collymore. “It was made worse by the fact that Andy Cole was Stretford’s client too. Stretford had assured me that the move to Old Trafford would happen if he kept plugging away at Fergie, and now it had collapsed. I tried four our five times to call Stretford on his mobile and he was very curt with me. He kept telling me he couldn’t talk. At one stage I was in denial about it. I didn’t want to believe the Andy Cole move was happening. Stretford never rang me back and I was livid with him. I didn’t blame Fergie. That’s just business. But the fact was that Stretford had shoehorned his other client into Manchester United at my expense.”

Win a copy of Andy Mitten’s book Glory Glory, which gives loads of interesting and previously unheard stories.