Scot 100: Andy Devlin picks his greatest XI

 

 

As with many of the contributors on this extremley interesting topic, I have opted to select an SPL XI consisting of the players I have have had the pleasure of watching during my time as a football fan.

 

Firstly, let me begin by stating that the greatest ever Scottish XI is obvious and unarguable. Simpson, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, Wallace, Auld, Chalmers, Lennox. Yes, there have been better individuals to have played in the Scottish game than some of the famous Lisbon Lions. No doubt many Celtic fans would argue Kenny Dalglish and Danny McGrain were far better players than their counterparts in their respective positions. Of course, every Rangers fan would debate their own heroes claim to a place in the greatest collection of Scottish players of all time.

 

 

We are, afterall, discussing the best team ever to play in these shores, and thus, one need look no further than Jock Stein's immortals. A team is much more than a collection of individuals. One where the overall good is greater than the sum of it's parts, and for all the achivements of the players excluded from my XI, none can be greater than conquering Europe with a Glasgow distirict select.

 

Alas, at 25 years of age, I was unlucky enough to be born 21 years too late to witness that historic afternoon in the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon, and therefore, I have compiled a team I would consider to be the greatest to have played in the Scottish Premier League since it's inception in 1998.

 

Of course, there will be some who agree, and countless who don't; that is the overall beauty of a debate such as this. Having had the pleasure of playing soccer in the United States for many years, I came to the conclusion that one could assemble 100 basketball fans into a room and the unanimous decison would be taken that Michael Jordan is the greatest hoops (no, not those ones) player of all time. For baseball, read Babe Ruth. Yet, conduct the same experiement with followers of the beautiful game, and it is entirley conceivable 100 different names could be presented. So, without further ado, here is my selection.

 

A hero to the Ibrox faithful for his heroic performances during their glorius nine in a row era, "The Goalie" gets the nod in goals over some difficult opponents. Growing up in the 1990's, I knew that if Celtic, or any other team for that matter, had scored against Rangers, chances are it was a screamer. It got past Goram, therefore it had to be. A tremendous shot stopper, he was able to command his penalty area with a presence even the most experienced strikers feared.

 

It is a traditionally difficult position to fill, and I had to have a long hard think about who I would choose in this position. For me, Jackie was a tremendous full back, who was more than capable of playing in a number of positions throughtout the team. He was the ultimate utility player. Comfortable on the ball, quick, and strong in the tackle, McNamara established himself in arguably the best Celtic side since the Lions, succeding Paul Lambert as club captain in 2005.

 

I've gone for an all Celtic Scandinavian centre defensive pairing as I felt they were both intergral parts of both their respective sides successes. Rieper arrived at Celtic from West Ham United in 1997 and provided the answer to the question many Celtic fans asked during the 1990's - who can stop Rangers from marching to ten league titles in a row. He formed a superb partnership with Alan Stubbs as Celtic pipped the Gers to the title on the last day of the season, as well as heading the crucial first goal agaisnt Dundee United at Ibrox to secure the Coca Cola Cup earlier that season. Injury cut his career short, but in my view, Rieper is one of the most commanding centre halfs I've seen in the Scottish game.

Likewise, Swedish international Johan Mjallby enjoys cult hero status amognst the Parkhead faithful. He arrived in November 1998, and his debut could not have been more memorable, as a Lubomir Moravcik inspired Celtic hammered Rangers 5-1 at Parkhead. Comfortable in midfield or defence, Mjallby played an integral role in both the treble side of 2001 and the Seville team of 2003, and had the honour of pulling on the captains armband on more than one occassion for the hoops. Currently enjoying a role as Celtic assistant manager, Mjallby's place in Celtic folklore is firmly secured.

 

Breaking up the Celtic connection in the defence is Dutch international full back Arthur Numan. He arrived from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 1998 as Dick Advocaat set about assembling a team to wrestle the title back across the city. Fresh from a promising World Cup in France, where Numan played a key role in the Dutch teams progress to the Semi Finals, Rangers paid £4.5 million to secure his services, and the process, beat off a number of top European clubs for his signature. A tremendous athlete, Numan was capable of patrolling the left hand touchline for 90 minutes, and became a firm favorite with the fans. His penultimate season at Ibrox saw him secure the treble, before he returned to play in his native Holland.

 

There is little to say about this little Slovak genius that hasn't already been said. Quite simply, he is the most technically gifted footballer I have ever witnessed in the flesh. Capable of scoring with either foot, Dr. Jozef Venglos was given plenty of criticism when he paid MSV Duisburg £300,000 to bring the then 33 year old Moravcik to Scotland. It turned out to be a masterstoke. The little magican thrilled fans up and down the country with his vision, close control and finishing ability, and he played the game with a smile on his face. In my opinion, no SPL XI is complete without Lubo.

 

 

Paul Lambert enjoys the distinction of being the first British player to win the European Cup with a non UK based club, and also the first British player to win the Champions League since it's inception. Such an achievement is testimony to how gifted a player Lambert was. His potential first came to light with St.MIrren in 1987 where he won the Scottish Cup with the Buddies, in what was the last Scottish cup winning XI comprised of all Scottish players. He moved to Motherwell and then onto Borussia Dortmund, where he enjoyed his European success. However, it was his time with Celtic that heralded the most success for Lambert, picking up a league winners medal in his first season at Celtic Park, the first of four with the hoops, and captained the club to their first European final in 33 years. He also added two league cups and the Scottish cup to his collection, and is now enjoying a promising managerial career in England with Norwich City.

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst arrived in Govan from Feyenoord in 1998, and proved to be one of Dick Advocaat's best signings at Rangers. A creative player with a wonderful left foot, Van Bronckhorst was capable of of playing full back, centre midfield or left wing, and his ability on the ball was obvious. Blessed with tremendous vision and technique, Van Bronckhorst was deadly from set peices, and forged an unbreakable partnership in the Rangers midfield with Jorg Alberz. He won a treble in his first year in Scotland as Rangers won the league back from Celtic at the home of their biggest rivals, and that alone ensures he will forever be idolised by the Rangers support.

 

 

Heralded by many Rangers fans as the clubs greatest ever player of modern times, the Danish international arrived at Ibrox in 1994 from Italian giants Fiorentina. He proved an instant success, terrorising defenders nationwide with his lighting pace and tremendous dribbling ability, and proved the key man as Rangers swept all before them domestically to secure 9 league titles in a row. He enjoyed a tremendous partnership with Paul Gascoigne and Ally McCoist, and combined, they proved to be a deadly trio, capable of destroying teams on their day. He has won the Danish Player of the Year a Record 4 times, and won 3 league titles, the Scottish cup and the League cup during his stay in Govan.

 

 

For me, Henrik Larsson is the greatest football player in the history of the Scottish game. He was the complete player, blessed with technique, vision, awareness, aerial ability, composure, finese and a deadly ability to score goals. Nicknamed the "King of Kings" by the Celtic support, 'Ghod" scored an incredible 242 goals in 315 appearnces in the hoops, including 53 goals in season 2000-2001, where he lead Celtic to the treble and picked up the European Golden boot award.

 

What makes this achievement even more astonshing is that he had spent the previous campaign sidelined with a broken leg. He won 4 League titles, two Scottish cup and two League Cups with Celtic, as well as scoring two memorable goals in the UEFA Cup Final of 2003. In 2004, he was inducted into the Greatest Ever Celtic XI, and was named the club's greatest ever foreign player.

 

In 2005, he joined Spainish giants F.C. Barcelona, and a year later, he came off the bench to set up both goals as the Catalans won their first Champions League title. He was named the Greatest Swedish footballer of the last 50 years in 2003, and was also awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2006.

Chris Sutton arrived at Celtic for a club record fee of £6million in the summer of 2000, and forged a superb partnership with Henrik Larsson. Having endured a diffciult time at his previous club Chelsea, much was expected of Sutton and he never dissapointed. He played an integral role in securing the clubs first domestic treble since 1969, and became the ultimate foil for his Swedish strike partner, so much so that it prompted Larsson to comment that Sutton was the best player he ever played beside.

 

Such praise is prove of his talents, and he filled in comfortably at centre half and midfield during his time in the hoops. An extremley intelligent footballer, Sutton never shied away from the games more physical side, and became a firm favourite with the hoops fans.