In the concluding part of our serialisation of Peter Reid’s autobiography, released today, the much-loved midfielder recalls how he incurred Wanderers team-mate Big Sam’s wrath

I DIDN’T realise my chances of breaking into the first team were being stalled by my diet – or lack of. The lads in the dressing room weren’t shy about letting me know and after one comment too many I decided to have it out with the manager, Ian Greaves.

I stormed straight into his office – a big mistake. “What do you want? Go back outside and knock before you enter,” he ordered me. I did as he said and went back in, with my tail between my legs. Even worse, he confirmed pretty much what was being said – that I needed to start living like a professional, and that would start with shifting some timber.

I took the message on board and finally convinced Greavesy to give me a chance, making my debut as a sub against Orient in October 1974, with my first start coming at Hull City the following week.

I needed a good winger in front and a good left-back behind. As it turned out, I couldn’t have asked for any better because my full-back was Tony Dunne and my winger was Peter Thompson. You don’t need any more coaching when you’re learning from players like that.

How could I not learn from players who’d honed their talents under Sir Matt Busby and Bill Shankly? ‘This will do me’ I thought, determined to soak up every bit of information they gave.

I would listen to whatever they said, watch their movements and soak it all up in the knowledge that, in terms of my own development, this was absolute gold.

One early match experience that stands out involves Big Sam, and a game when we got told not to pass to him. We were a possession-based team and were at home to Bristol City when Greavesy told us to miss Sam out.

We were knocking it around but, in keeping with orders, it never went back to Sam. I could see him getting increasingly wound up and eventually he snapped. Roy Greaves turned around and said: “The manager’s told us not to pass to you.” Sam’s face was a picture.

There was no way that I would have told him. I’m not that brave.

I loved playing in front of Sam anyway. He was one of those uncompromising defenders who would take everything, as I discovered to my cost on more than one occasion. The worst thing you could do was ask why he hadn’t won a ball. I did it once after I tried to head a long kick back towards where it had come from, only to get a slight touch off the back of my head because it was too high.

I turned around and had a go at Sam for not dealing with it and it was like a red rag to a Bolton bull, as though I had questioned his masculinity.

Soon after we were faced with a similar situation – and this time the outcome was very different.

As the ball dropped in between us I could hear the sound of his boots, I flinched because I knew what was about to happen but nothing could have prepared me for the impact.

Sam hit me, hit the lad who I was supposed to be challenging, won the ball and left us both in a heap. It was the last time I ever asked him why he hadn’t come for a long ball.

Peter Reid autobiography - How the Whites sent me on fast-track to stardom

Cheer Up Peter Reid, Trinity Mirror Sport Media, RRP £18.99. On sale now from Amazon, book shops and

sportmediashop.com.

Ebook also available