George Best often slept it off on my sofa.. once he went missing & Man Utd asked if I'd help find him

George Best asleep on the sofa in your front room at the height of his hell-raising fame would surely make the home-owner raise an eyebrow at the very least...

- ANDY LINES

But not Mirror legend Ted Macauley.

The reason is that football star Best crashed out there frequently.

And, as Ted recalls now, Bestie having a kip on the couch was quite mundane compared to some of the celebrity encounters in the journalist's sprawling and respected career.

BARRY SHEENE

Motorcycle champion with his family in 1987

Best, Bobby Charlton and Barry Sheene were his close pals and regular drinking buddies in his snug bar at his home in Prestwich near Manchester.

Then there are the stories about Paul Newman, Lee Marvin, Michael Caine, Jayne Mansfield and Ringo Starr.

Richard Attenborough even got Ted a role as an extra in A Bridge Too Far.

But a life marked with fun and triumph has also been marred by tragedy with the early deaths of his best mate, motorcycle racer Mike Hailwood in 1981 aged 40, and dear friend, England footballer Ray Wilkins in 2018 aged 61.

For decades Ted, now 88, travelled the globe for the Mirror, and in the 1960s and 70s was a well-known name, emblazoned on posters at motorsport circuits.

Now he has written a book Raring To Go! - with some amazing anecdotes from his career as a high-flying news reporter, columnist and sports journalist.

MICHAEL CAINE

Reuniting with the movie superstar in 1983

They include for the first time a private chat revealing what Charlton thought about Man United team-mate Best.

Smiling when recalling the conversation with Charlton in the 1960s, Ted says: "Bobby told me, 'It's like an old man to a young boy. In fact, now I'm over 30 I suppose I'm like a veteran to him.

'He's only just beginning, in his early20s on a long and exciting career, which I expect will be highly successful.