Richard Gough: Ex-Rangers, Tottenham & Dundee United legend in Icons of Football

Richard Gough

One of Scottish football's most successful players - with double figures for title wins let alone overall trophies - Richard Gough dominated football in the 1990s wearing the captain's armband for Rangers.

Winning a total of 10 league titles, one of which as part of Dundee United's iconic 1982-83 side under Jim McLean, 'Goughie' was a born leader who captained Scotland at Euro 92.

A new BBC Scotland programme is profiling six of Scottish football's most iconic figures and Gough is the latest, with contributors from across his life and career offering tales from his trophy-laden time in the game.

'An armband didn't change Richard'

"I was not surprised [that Richard got the armband]," says former Rangers team-mate Mark Hateley. "Richard was very vocal anyway. They always say that big teams have 11 captains and it was a very vocal team. Big players with big opinions.

"Richard was always that way, always spoke the truth. He played in a position where he could see all of the game. It was a no-brainer - Richard was captaining before he was captain basically.

"You need big players and an armband didn't change Richard at all, he just continued seamlessly."

'He made me feel so at ease'

David Robertson joined Rangers a year after Hateley and recalls his daunting early days in the Ibrox dressing room.

"When I first got to Rangers my training number was six and that meant I was sitting next to the lively corner of Ian Ferguson, Ally McCoist, Mark Hateley - all the jokers. I'm thinking, 'aw no, this is going to be a rough time here'.

"So, when I saw Richard was sitting next to me, as he was number five, I was glad on the first day as he made me feel so at ease.

"He wasn't a shouter or a bawler, but he just had that persona about him. When he walks in a room you go, 'oh, here's the captain'."

'A classy footballer'

Trevor Steven, a long-time club-mate of Gough's at Ibrox, says the defender was more than just a big influence on the pitch.

"Richard always stood out for me as a classy footballer. He was tall, almost bordering on gangly. He's a leader, end of story.

"Richard was the go-between from our camp as players to the management and he'd carry any issues between us. Not that there were many but when called upon he'd be the delivery man and we could rely upon him for that.

"He was very much a part of the social side of the team and an organiser and leader with others too. He was like a sergeant major, or more like just the major, being the head of the group, which takes a bit of class, confidence and consistency about you to do."

'He could handle everything'

After leaving Dundee United, Gough played alongside Gary Mabbutt at centre-back at Tottenham Hotspur.

"'Goughie' and myself formed a bit of a partnership," said Mabbutt. "He came into the club and totally felt at home quickly. He responded to everything that was being asked of him as a player.

"It can be difficult at times for a new player to come into a club and settle into the environment, but 'Goughie' took it in his stride as he did with everything. And to me, that's why he had an impact as a player - he showed he could handle everything that was thrown at him.

"A lot was thrown at him very quickly. He got injured in his first game with a bad kick to the face, he had moved from Scotland to living in London, he was learning a new system in the team and he did all that comfortably. He had that calmness about him."

'A player that knew what he wanted'

At United, Paul Hegarty was a defensive team-mate of Gough's and described the Scotland player as a "massive presence".

"Even when he was a youngster playing alongside myself, David Narey, Hamish McAlpine and Maurice Malpas, he was confident," added Hegarty. "He wasn't cocky but very confident.

"He was a player that knew what he wanted. He was direct, whether it was on the park or off the park. You had players who were all internationals at the back for United, but Richard was a commanding figure.

"He could have easily played in my position (centre-back) and he probably wanted to but the manager decided to play him at right-back!

"He was one of these players that was very, very dedicated and if you're dedicated you've got longevity.

"He was a massive part of the 1983 league-winning team, it speaks volumes for him considering how young he was at the time."

The Richard Gough programme will be shown on Friday, 21 July on BBC Scotland while all episodes of Icons of Football are on BBC iPlayer.

Coming soon on BBC Scotland: Icons of Football

Related topics