Walter and Goughie were born winners.

Jim McLean knows Walter Smith and Richard Gough will be desperate to bow out today as winners.

After working with them at Tannadice the Dundee United supremo can't think of them in any other light.

McLean can recall the young Gough unable to lose even a game of head tennis on a training field at Tannadice.

It was also McLean who sold Walter Smith - the player - to Dumbarton for pounds 6000 only to buy him back at a pounds 2000 profit later.

And when Smith quoted Sir Alf Ramsay at him, he knew he was dealing with a man with football in his blood.

He said: "They are both born winners. For Walter, I am sure he wouldn't want to bow out with nothing after all he has given the game and Richard is the same. This will be the main driving force for Rangers. It will make the final even more important for them."

Gough came to prominence at Tannadice after McLean was tipped off Rangers didn't want him.

Two days of watching the centre half and McLean knew he was signing a true winner.

He said: "I knew Richard was going to be a centre half but we had Paul Hegarty and David Narey at the time, so Richard played right back.

"He was unbelievable. One season he scored 12 or 13 goals for us and none of them were penalties or set pieces.

"He was a born winner. Himself and Andy Gray are the two biggest winners I have worked with and both are in my top 11. It is not because they are necessarily the best players, they just could not stand losing games.

"Selling Walter and buying him back for a profit was one of my best signings and he keeps reminding me that his first game after returning was a win against Rangers at Ibrox.

"One thing about him was that he was 100 per cent honest and trustworthy in everything.

"After he was my assistant I remember bringing back Gordon Wallace into the coaching because I knew we couldn't keep hold of Walter.

"He had a great tactical brain and he read about football. I remember him once telling me Sir Alf Ramsay said this or that. I told him: `Stuff Alf Ramsay, we are doing it this way'. But that just shows you the knowledge he had."

Taken from the Daily Record