LENNOX LEWIS, appropriately, will have the honour of representing millions of Muhammad Ali’s British fans at his public memorial.

Ali’s family could not have paid our former undisputed world heavyweight champion — or Britain — a greater compliment than by asking him to be one of the pallbearers at the service in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday.

Because I’m sure they were not only inviting Lennox to pay his personal respects to his idol but also the British people.

Ali had a special rapport with the citizens of this country and nowhere else on Earth was he made to feel more loved or welcome.

There are many reasons why Ali felt so much at home here.

But the main one was the fact that when he was stripped of his world heavyweight title in 1967 — and was in boxing exile for more than three years — he was still regarded as the only true champion in this island.

Billions of people around the globe will be watching on TV as Ali’s body makes its sedate final journey through the streets of his home town.

Their hearts and minds will be joined to the thousands lining the route to watch the procession as the cortege makes its way to the 22,000-seater sports arena where the ceremonies will take place.

I can only think of three other farewells in my lifetime that have had the same global impact as this one — those of Sir Winston Churchill, John F Kennedy and Princess Diana.

Knowing Ali as I did, I’m certain that he would boast his was the one that drew the biggest crowd worldwide.

Former President Bill Clinton will lead the eulogies and with comedian Billy Crystal also speaking, there’s bound to be plenty of humour among the solemnity as Ali would have wished.

Since his death a week ago, I’ve read and heard so many wonderful tributes paid to the man everyone revered as The Greatest from President Obama down.

Yet the one that has registered with me the most came from the lips of former world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

In a simple sentence, the Ukrainian summed up everyone’s feelings perfectly when he said: “Muhammad Ali will never die because he will always be in all our hearts.”

An Imam will lead the service but it will be inter-faith — again to meet with Ali’s wishes.

So it’s worth recalling a Buddhist saying: “When you are born you cry and the world rejoices.

“When you die you rejoice and the world cries.”

In the last few days, memories of Ali keep popping into my brain, making me realise even more what a remarkable human being he was.

Some years ago he was in London on a promotional tour with old title rivals George Foreman and Joe Frazier.

And at the press conference he couldn’t see the late Reg Gutteridge, the great ITV commentator.

When he asked why Reg wasn’t there he was told he was seriously ill in Hammersmith Hospital.

Without telling anyone, together with his photographer friend Howard Bingham, Ali found his way to Hammersmith Hospital.

You can imagine the scene. Ali stormed into the main entrance screaming: “I wanna see Reg Gutteridge, I wanna see Reg Gutteridge,” to the astonishment of doctors, nurses and patients.

Reg told me: “I was asleep but sensed someone had entered my room. I opened my eyes and saw Ali praying beside my bed.

“I thought I was hallucinating. When it dawned on me it was really him, I was so emotional I burst into tears.”

There’s bound to be music in Louisville. So as my final farewell to Ali I will quote Irving Berlin, “The song is ended but the melody lingers on.”