Now, in an exclusive interview with Music Week, Smith revealed work began on the deal “a couple of years ago” while he was president of music at Virgin EMI. “He was looking for writer ideas and I spent time with him,” he said. “He’d get out the acoustic guitar and we’d sit down and listen to [him playing] songs. Initially, he was just looking for great songs to sing but as soon as he started playing what he’d written himself it was like, that’s where you need to go.”

Smith said Gallagher’s new material “comes from the heart” and would appeal to “anyone who’s ever been a Liam fan,” adding: “There are a lot of really interesting things he’s got to say about the experiences he’s had, he’s had to be out on his own in recent years.”