If you supported Leicester City in the early 1980s, Alan Young was probably your hero. If you weren’t born, then no doubt an older family member has regaled you with stories of just how good ‘Youngy’ was.

Young was a footballer who showed as much passion as the fans on the Filbert Street terraces, as he gave his all for the cause. Now, after a period out of the limelight, the straight-talking Scot is back as an expert summariser for BBC Radio Leicester and his love affair with the Foxes faithful has begun again, as Soar Magazine discovered…

How are you finding the radio role?
Steve, via e-mail
It’s fantastic. I’ve had a lot of difficult times in my life of late, so I relocated to Nottingham, got back in touch with some great people in Leicester like Walshy and Birch, along with some wonderful supporters, which has helped me to get involved in football again. I love every minute of it.

Growing up, who were your football heroes and why?
Joe, via e-mail
Denis Law was an obvious one as he was Scottish. But funnily enough, my hero in my teenage years was Peter Osgood, as I supported Chelsea. I could name you their cup-winning team; Bonetti, Harris, McCreadie, Hollins, Dempsey, Webb, Baldwin, Cooke, Osgood, Hutchinson and Houseman, with Hinton as substitute. I was on trial at Southampton and Osgood was there, but he was a little arrogant and I idolised him no more. I was still sad when he passed away though.

Is there a modern day player that reminds you of yourself?
Kelvin, Leicester
Maybe the big lad, Andy Carroll at Newcastle. He’s got a decent touch and he’s brave, maybe not the quickest but he’ll get a few goals. That type of player perhaps. Then maybe Nicklas Bendtner and perhaps referring to Leicester City, Steve Howard, who plays with his back to goal and brings people in to play.

You come across as very passionate on the radio, where did your love for the game begin?
Sarah, Nottingham
It’s in your roots, your background and your circumstances. I was one of five children in the family, three boys and two girls. We didn’t have two pennies to scratch together, but somebody always had a football and that was all you did. Even the girls you’d hang about with had to be able to play football, otherwise they could play elsewhere. We had coppers chasing us away at times and twenty-a-side matches. They were wonderful days.

Is there one particular game from your career that stands out and if so why?
Roy, Market Harborough
I think it has to be the Shrewsbury FA Cup Quarter-Final tie in 1982, as it was such a spectacle. A 5-2 win, three different goalkeepers for City including myself, but to be perfectly honest I don’t remember a great deal from the game! I watch the video back and some of the play was magnificent that day. Also, Liverpool away was special. We lost to Exeter the week before, and then won 2-1 at Anfield, with me scoring an own goal! I won man of the match too and had a huge hamper given to me, so I wound the lads up about that.

Do you have any regrets from your playing career?
Mary, Leicester
Yes, leaving Leicester. I was too hasty. Jock Wallace had left and I didn’t think I could stay without him. Gordon Milne came in and I said something to him like, “I think we’ll have a great season, Mr Milne” when I met him and he replied, “Yeah, ok thanks, but it’s not Mr Milne, it’s boss.” I just thought, no way, there was only one boss and it was Jock. But leaving did wonders for Alan Smith’s career!

Was there anyone you worked with in football that compared to Jock Wallace?
Ian, via e-mail
Never. The man was…I don’t know…he was just vast, a magnificent man who knew what was wrong with you before it was wrong. He was a passionate family man and you couldn’t help but love him. Although he hammered me in the dressing room at times, I still miss him now. He had such an influence on me.

After City you coached at various clubs, would you be keen to do that again?
Amit, via e-mail
Yes I would. My knees are not great, but my knowledge is there. I enjoyed coaching other coaches and teaching them how to present, do their preparation and then their self-critiques. I did a lot of that for the PFA and the FA, and I really would love to have another crack.

What are your initial impressions of Sven-Goran Eriksson?
Bryan, Loughborough
I never liked or disliked him as England manager, but I always admired the way his teams played. He has encouraged good football from Leicester City already and some of the stuff that we are playing would not be out of place in the Premier League. I think the best is yet to come and I hope it comes soon enough for us to get promoted.

On the spot now Alan. Will City be promoted or not?
Si, via e-mail
Yes, absolutely. I said before a ball was kicked that there’s no reason why this team can’t win promotion. It didn’t look likely back towards the start of the season as we weren’t getting the results, but now if we turn up with our best game, there’s no one to fear in this division.

What are your hobbies away from football?
Carly, via e-mail
I watch a lot of sport and I love my horse racing, the smell of a race day and the atmosphere. I love my golf and I enjoy cooking too, although my son, Kyle, is always ribbing me about how long it takes me to decide on what to buy from the supermarket…he still eats it though! My four children mean the world to me and I really do love my family. My daughter, Sophie, has just visited me from Basle, in Switzerland, and it was lovely to spend time with her.

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Aaron, via e-mail
I love a cigar with a pint, nothing too controversial.

You played alongside Gary Lineker. What was he like to work with?
Paul, Leicester
He was a great lad and a pleasure to play with, as he had blistering pace and no one could catch him. Just play the ball ahead of him and he would get on the end of it. Jock would always preach ‘up, back and through’. So, the midfield would play the ball in to me, I would lay it back and they would slide it through to ‘Link’, who would more often than not score.

Ironically, he made his debut against me when I played for Oldham Athletic. I’m not in touch with him now, but I’m quite sure if I called him he’d say ‘Ga Din’ as short for ‘Gunga Din’ and I used to call him Link-en-er, as a commentator called him that, so ‘Link’ stuck as a nickname.

I’ll also never forget the former Leicester City manager, David Pleat, speaking to me and saying ‘Alan Young…Gary Lineker has a lot to thank you for.’ I’d probably remind him of that!