Mrs May Burke (74) was expecting to give birth to her last child Keylaine (43) at the old Oakbank Hospital in Maryhill when she received a surprise visit from none other than boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

May, who lives in Craigend Crescent, had been in the hospital for several weeks when she befriended an American nurse who promised her an introduction to a friend of hers — except May didn't know that her friend was one of the most famous people in the world.

She said: "I had been in the hospital for a while because I was quite ill and this nurse who used to speak to me whenever she had a chance said one day that a friend of hers was coming over from America and she would quite like me to meet him.

"I jokingly asked, 'Is it a boyfriend?' but she said it was her neighbour and once you meet him you will be very pleased."

May admitted that she never thought anything further of it until one day a patient in her ward started shouting, 'Muhammad Ali is outside'.

She said: "Someone in my ward had peeped out the window and saw him — she then started screaming that he was outside but I never thought anything of it.

"Then he came into the ward with lots of press and walked straight towards me with the nurse I befriended.

"I was gobsmacked and he started to speak away to me asking, how I was feeling and he even signed my purse which I eventually lost anyway.

"If I didn't feel so frozen I would have been tempted to say to him, 'Are you here for a fight.'"

Great Grandmother May, who has three other children Brian (57), Adele (50), Barbara (46) as well as eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, explained that Muhammad Ali had arrived in Scotland for an exhibition fight at the Glasgow Apollo and he later returned around eight years after to promote his autobiography.

She said: "When he came back I was planning to take the photo to go and see him as I wanted to find out if he would have remembered me but unfortunately I feel ill and couldn't make it."

May's memory of the visit was rekindled as the NHS builds up to its 60th anniversary on Saturday.

May said: "I have been in the hospital quite a lot over the years having suffered from two heart attacks and two strokes but the treatment has been brilliant.

"The only thing I would say is that I would prefer it, if the NHS brought back the matrons to the wards as they really knew how to look after people.

"Aside from that, I still feel proud that we have the NHS as a lot of us would not be here if it wasn't for them."

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