Media spin doctor Alastair Campbell says that Leighton James was the greatest footballer he ever saw.
Burnley fan Campbell made the startling claim to BBC Sport while in Cardiff in his role as Lions media consultant.

"Leighton was absolutely brilliant, the best I ever saw," said Campbell of the ex-Burnley, Derby, QPR, Swansea, Bury, Sunderland, Newport and Wales wing.

"He did things very few people could do. You always felt something would happen when he got the ball."

Campbell, a self-confessed Clarets nut from the age of four, continued to wax lyrical about his hero.

"My enduring image of him was of the ball reaching him on the wing and the crowd going quiet for a couple of seconds.

"Then they would pick up because they knew something was about to happen.

"Five times out of 10 it did - and that's a pretty good rate in football!

"I got to meet Leighton some years after he finished playing and he was a thoroughly nice bloke.

"I introduced him to a friend as 'the best footballer who ever lived'.

"But when my friend looked up he just said 'You're not George Best'!"