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As Real Madrid’s players limbered up in the tunnel of North America’s biggest stadium last August, Cristiano Ronaldo pulled Sergio Ramos to one side.

“That’s Paddy Crerand,” he said as he pointed to the Manchester United legend who was clad in an incongruous mix of flip-flops and full-length black trousers, with socks which drew in the heat of the burning Michigan sun. Whatever Ronaldo said next, Ramos was impressed. He smiled and waved at Paddy. Other Madrid players did the same. For once, Crerand was lost for words.

But not for long. MUTV, for which Crerand had been working, was among the many media channels trying to talk to Ronaldo. Madrid rejected all requests, but Crerand asked Ronaldo directly. And of course he said yes. Without Crerand, there would have been no Ronaldo interview.

Crerand has been on every United tour this century, a century which started with United playing in Brazil for the World Club championship. The United plane stopped to refuel in Senegal on the way back to Manchester. Everyone was supposed to stay on the plane, but Crerand is a man who likes to travel. Despite being Scottish by virtue of being born in Glasgow’s Gorbals, he thinks of himself as Irish because his parents were from Donegal. Having lived in Manchester for 52 of his 76 years, he’s actually Mancunian.

Crerand wanted to say that he had been to Senegal so he got off the plane and walked onto the tarmac. Four airport workers came over to him.

‘Is Dwight Yorke on the plane?’ one asked in perfect English.

‘Roy Keane?’ said another.

He went to tell the players back on the plane, but when he got back on board the head air steward said to him: ‘Paddy, you were my favourite player, my hero.’ A bottle of very expensive red wine was brought to the European Cup winner.

Crerand won’t be in America later this month. It’s a budget issue and he’ll stay in Manchester. It’s a shame because he brings so much more to the United travelling parties than his red-eyed commentary for MUTV.

When United play around the world, the club will often engage with supporters there, usually through sponsors via a fan meet and greet with the local fans. They’re full of local supporters professing their love for United and their ambition to watch a game at Old Trafford yet on all of these trips, United have a small following from England. Often the club don’t even know that they’ve travelled. In Saudi Arabia in 2008, Gill was stunned to hear via Crerand that 20 United fans had made their way from Manchester to Riyadh, beating the rigid Saudi visa system. One, Barmy Kev, did that by recording his religion as ‘Manchester United’ upon arrival. Gill sorted complimentary tickets out for the travelling hardcore.

Crerand is often the conduit between the hardcore fans and the club. He has time for them at matches home and away. He helps sort tickets on tours – for free. He’s never rushed, never sees it as a hassle to talk United and hear the same things in one-way conversations. At times he has to be dragged away because there’s the small matter of working and doing the television job he’s paid to do. It’s not like Crerand is lost in the time-suck world of screens and social media – he threw his first mobile phone into the River Mersey near his Sale home because he didn’t like it. When he was finally persuaded to get another mobile, it took him some time to realise that it had to be switched on to accept calls. And rather than use the phone to store numbers, he used the inside of his glasses case to write them, biro onto felt.

Crerand can’t go on forever but his MUTV work keeps him young and fit enough to harangue journalists for any perceived anti-United comments. He’s recognised by fans and appreciates them. Footballers of his generation who didn’t make fortunes when they played are right to earn income by doing sportsman’s dinners. At one such dinner at Old Trafford for the James McCarthy Foundation last season, Crerand simply refused to take a fee. He knew that many of United’s long-standing hardcore fans were there to raise money for charity and knew the difference between that and a corporate gig.

“They were all Manchester and Salford lads standing up singing old United songs,” he recalled the morning after. “It was exactly how it should be.”

Crerand will be missed on the tour.

See pictures from United's annual golf day below