A FORMER England international footballer who emigrated to Australia has returned to the North-East to tell the story of his life.

Now in his late seventies, Stan Rickaby grew up on Teesside and played for Middlesbrough before moving to West Bromwich Albion.

Mr Rickaby went on to do other remarkable things, as recounted in his autobiography Up Over And Down Under.

It includes his wartime experiences as a soldier during the Normandy invasion and life in the cut-throat commercial world as a UK director of a controversial investment company.

He also talks about his decision to move to the other side of the world living in Aboriginal communities on a tropical island in the Arafura Sea and the vast and remote Northern Territory working with the indigenous people.

Mr Rickaby said: "I have led an incredible life and it is a brilliant book.

"I am very proud to have written it myself. It is not just a football book so it will appeal to all sorts of people."

He held signing sessions in Middlesbrough and Stockton on Saturday and was the Boro's executive guest for their Premiership match against Chelsea yesterday.

Mr Rickaby said: "While I was signing books, a lot of people came in who knew me or who were related to me and it was lovely because I recognised all of their names.

"It is great to come back to England and this area because I was born here and went to school here and started playing football here."