took off. We used to have five-a-side
England vs Scotland games in training
on a Friday, and I have to tell you, they
could not beat us! I can still see big
Butcher launching balls over the stand
because he hated losing. [Laughs]
Souness used to fill in and play for
England. They couldn’t cope with me,
Davie Cooper, Ian Durrant – guys like
that. We used to batter England! They
got lively and heated, with tackles
flying in, and I remember [assistant]
Walter Smith saying, “That’s it, no
more of these games on a Friday!”
How frustrating was Rangers’ lack of
impact in Europe? Could they have
won the first Champions League if it
wasn’t for Marseille’s corruption?
Alfie Fletcher, via Instagram
Yes, without a doubt. We were a goal
away from the Champions League
final in 1993, which is often forgotten.
We drew 2-2 with Marseille at Ibrox
and 1-1 with them in France. If we’d
scored another goal in either of those
English league was better than the
Scottish league, but I was confident
that I could score against any English
team I played, whether it was Leeds,
Arsenal or Liverpool.Who was the best player you ever
played with – and against?
Scott Trott, via Twitter
I played alongside Kenny Dalglish very
briefly for Scotland, and he was an
incredible player. Paul Gascoigne was
brilliant, Brian Laudrup was a genius,
but I’m going to pick two other guys:
Davie Cooper and Ian Durrant.
Cooper was a phenomenal player- Ruud Gullit put him in his XI of the
best players he ever faced, which gives
you an indication of how good he was.
Davie couldn’t head the ball, he didn’t
have a right foot, he wasn’t quick and
he couldn’t tackle, but he was one of
the best players I ever played with. And
Durrant was incredible – ask Souness
and Wilkins. His injury would have
finished most players, but he came
back and completely changed his
game. He continued to play Champions
League and international football.
In terms of players I played against,
I’d have to say Franco Baresi: he was
incredible in that Milan back four, who
had the most amazing offside trap. He
was probably the only defender I faced
who had me thinking more about him
than he was thinking about me.Which manager would you say got
the best out of you as a player?
Grant Mitten, via Twitter
Walter Smith. No doubt about that. We
go back to when I was 16 years oldand he got his first coaching job with
Scotland. Then he came to Rangers
with Graeme Souness and eventually
got the job himself. It was the way
he coached and also the way that he
man-managed. He knew how to treat
players, with either a kick or a cuddle.What’s the best story you have about
legendary Gers kitman Jimmy Bell?
Mac Elvis, via Instagram
He let me drive the team bus when we
stayed overnight at Turnberry once. ItYOU ASK
“I ONCE MADE THE
MISTAKE OF ALLOWING
GAZZA TO ARRANGE
THE FIREWORKS AT
A CHILDREN’S PARTY”
games, we would have been in the
competition’s first ever final. Back then
there were no quarter- or semi-finals,
but two groups of four teams, with the
winner of each qualifying for the final.
Marseille finished top with nine points
and we were second with eight, so
one more goal in either of the games
against them would’ve been enough.
It would have been Milan in the final.
You’d better believe that we were good
enough to win it – Marseille beat them.
Of course, you remember the problems
with Marseille and Bernard Tapie, their
owner [when l’OM were stripped of
the 1992-93 Ligue 1 title after bribing
an opponent to lose their final game].
We really felt cheated by the situation.
Did Rangers’ Champions League run,
including home-and-away wins over
Leeds where you scored in both legs,
help to bring your goalscoring ability
to the attention of people outside
Scotland? I recall English fans being
a bit dismissive up to then.
Rod McCain, via Twitter
Yes, I think it’s very fair to say that. It
didn’t bother me, though. I knew the
8 July 2022 FourFourTwo