It was Brian Clough who got Roy McFarland out of bed on an August night back in 1967 and persuaded him to join Derby County at the start of a career which, Clough promised him, would lead to full International honours.

Clough was right and Merseyside-born McFarland never regretted the night he agreed to leave Tranmere Rovers for the Baseball Ground.

He was one of the first pieces of the jigsaw which would eventually give the Rams the League Championship, take them to the European Cup semi-finals and win 28 full England caps.

He would certainly have won more honours - and made more than his 577 senior appearances - had it not been for increasing injury problems late in his career.

In May 1981 after seeing Derby win two League Championships, he joined Bradford City as player-manager.

He returned to Derby and played a few games for them in the 1983/84 season which saw them relegated to Division 3.

By then Roy was well past his best but the Rams' fans relished a final glimpse of one of the game's best post-war defenders.