(dodgy allegations aside)
"I chose United because they were the first. I remember a
scout called Joe Armstrong coming over to me after I had
played for Northumberland Boys on a frosty pitch in Jarrow.
"He had been speaking to my parents and wanted to know
whether I would like to play for Manchester United. He
didn't mention a trial, just whether I wanted to play. I
knew I could do that, I never had any bother with the game,
so that was it.
"My only doubts were when I got off the train in Manchester
and all the buildings were black. But when I asked Jimmy
Murphy where the ground was and he said Trafford Park, it
sounded nice.
"It wasn't quite what I imagined but I got on with it and
haven't regretted anything since. When I first arrived I was
in digs with Billy Whelan, Jackie Blanchflower and Duncan
Edwards.
"There was a bond between us and when Europe came along it
was a big adventure. Suddenly we were travelling the world.
It was magical time and we had a good enough team to win it.
But then the accident happened and it changed everything."
Charlton reckons that he can see a bit of himself in a
current United player:
"I love little Scholes. He is my type of player. He wants to
score and it hurts when it doesn't. He will have the ball
all the time. I used to feel like that myself.
"I hated playing on the wing, I was always criticised for
coming in but I had to because I didn't get enough of the
ball. I see that with Scholes. He also has a fantastic
technique. He reminds me of myself. If somebody threw the
ball at me I would just do it. No-one taught me, it's
instinct, something you can't change. He's the same. I love
watching him play."
Looking back at last season, and the European Cup exit he
said:
"We were the best team last year and we should have won it.
They were better than us in the first half in Madrid but
Ronaldo scored a hat-trick at Old Trafford with three
chances.
"I watched him play for Brazil the following week and he
wouldn't have hit a barn door if he had been sitting on the
handle.
"Time doesn't stand still, you have to go on and although we
won the championship last year, it doesn't count for
anything when we kick off against Bolton on Saturday. Then
we are fair game for the critics again."