The 50 Greatest Scottish Footballers. Day 2

40. Eric Caldow 1934-

Show me your medals: With Rangers, five league titles, two Scottish Cups, three League Cups. Won 40 caps.

Class is permanent: An elegant, quick full-back who was a Scotland stalwart before an injury at Wembley compromised his career. Became synonymous with a period of Rangers success and captained the club to its first European final, the 1961 European Cup-Winners' Cup. He made more than 400 appearances for Rangers and sustained a level of astonishing consistency. He captained a team that was expected to win and he was never daunted by that imperative. He also played in the World Cup finals of 1958 that preceded years of drought for Scotland in the tournament. A precursor of the era of enterprising full-back that has subsequently marked the game. Modest, diffident but supremely gifted.

View from the terracing: Can you remember Caldow's last bad match? Don't think records go back that far.

39. Gordon McQueen 1952-

Show me your medals: A title with Leeds United; FA Cup with Manchester United. 30 caps.

Class is permanent: The sort of centre-half for whom the word towering was coined. Blond, big and hyperactive, McQueen was a defender that would breenge into the consciousness of the spectator and the body of an opponent. His career is captured in a moment when his header flashed into the net past Ray Clemence, helping to give Scotland a 2-1 win over England in 1977. McQueen's was the first goal but it helped precipitate the communal gardening of Wembley and the destruction of goal posts. He was a member of the 1978 World Cup, though would probably like to keep that quiet. A big player for two big clubs, his haul of medals is surprisingly small but he lives on as the scorer of a special goal.

View from the terracing: Haw, Big Man, you're not Adonis, you're the Donis.

38. Archie Gemmill 1947-

Show me your medals: Won three Football League championships and and one League Cup. Fell out with Cloughie over being on bench for European Cup final. Played for Scotland 43 times, scoring eight goals.

Class is permanent: He may be remembered as being the first tactical substitute in Scottish football when playing for St Mirren, but only by the anoraks. Those of a more artistic disposition will remember his cameo role in Trainspotting where Archie Macpherson describes the midfielder's goal against the Netherlands in 1978 in a scene that reached a wonderful climax. It was the best goal scored by Scotland as it was both brilliant and ultimately irrelevant. Gemmill was skilful, if exceedingly disputatious. He loved an argument the way Ollie Reed liked a tipple. He was a central part of the success of Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough and their relationship would keep a room of psychiatrists in research grants.

View from the terracing: If moaning was an Olympic sport, I think we've found the favourite for gold.

37. Andy Goram 1964-

Show me your medals: Six Scottish titles, three Scottish Cups, three League Cups with Rangers. Won 43 caps.

Class is permanent: There was a period when Goram was simply unbeatable in goal. There was the incident when Paulo Futre of Portugal raced in on goal in a World Cup qualifier at Ibrox in 1993. There was barely a hint of apprehension in the stands. This, after all, was 1993 and Superman was auditioning for Goram roles. The legendary striker shot . . . and Goram just booted the ball away, considering it not worthy of a dive. His form for the club in that year was crucial to Rangers finishing just one match short of a Euopean Cup final. He was persistently consistent for Rangers, however, and reserved his best saves for Old Firm matches. This did not displease Rangers supporters.

View from the terracing: And they say goalkeepers are crazy . . .

36. Bertie Auld 1938-

Show me your medals: Won League Cup with Birmingham City and with Celtic won six Scottish titles, three Scottish Cups, four League Cups and a European Cup.

Class is permanent: In the opening moments of the European Cup semi-final at Hampden in 1970, a Leeds United midfielder fell to the ground under a challenge from Auld. There was a moment when there seemed to be a debate over whether to send on a physio for the stricken player or a CSI operative to draw a chalk line around him. Auld, with Bobby Murdoch, then went on to dominate the midfield and lead Celtic both to victory and to a second European Cup final. This was the yin and yang of Auld. He was physically tough but he was also a beautiful passer of the ball. A huge personality with the talent to match. Still irrepressible.

View from the stands: Bertie was on form today. One smashing goal, three great passes and four unfortunate victims.

35. Andrew Watson 1857-1902

Show me your medals: With Queen's Park, won three Scottish Cups and four Charity Cups; won FA Cup with Corinthians.

Class is permanent: The lamentable lack of Scotsport action pictures from the 19th century means Watson's abilities must be taken on trust but he is undoubtedly a fascinating case study with career records that testify to his greatness. He was the first black international footballer and captained Scotland to a 6-1 victory over England at Kennington Oval in 1881. Born in Georgetown, British Guiana, he was brought to the UK by his Scottish father. A strong full-back, he played with two of the leading clubs of the day, Queen's Park and Corinthians. Newspaper records of the time show he was strong in the face of racial abuse and relished the challenges of top-level football. He later became football's first black administrator.

View from the terracing: Respect.

34. Billy Steel 1923-1982

Show me your medals: Won two League Cups with Dundee. Won 30 caps.

Class is permanent: One of the specialist subjects of Scottish football is the work of the inside forward. Billy Steel was one of the greatest of that breed. His career took him from Morton to Derby County and then to Dundee where he signed on in 1950 for a fee of £23,000. Steel then became the hero of the city, at least the substantial part of it that celebrated the Dens Park team. Steel's play was marked by a craftiness and a technical ability that seemed to have no flaw. He was a player of sublime gifts but also of great energy and bravery. This was a tough era and Steel was aptly named. He was committed to winning and drove his team-mates on. A wonderful player but, in essence, a winner.

View from the stand: Haw, Billy, you can stop kicking your grannie. We've won.

33. Tommy Gemmell 1943-

Show me your medals: With Celtic, a European Cup, six titles, three Scottish Cups, four League Cups; with Dundee, a League Cup. 18 caps.

Class is permanent: The Gemmell all-action reel would feature prominently a kick up the bahookie of Helmut Haller and a goal in the European Cup that came from a shot so thunderous it should have been followed by a shower of rain. He was splendidly gawky, almost ungainly character but this impression was misleading as he was a formidable athlete and was a force of nature when in full stride. He was one of the earliest and most powerful examples of the overlapping full-back and his interventions were vital in the Stein years. Scored in two European Cup finals. He was also an aggressive defender. One of the great sights of the 1960s was Gemmell careering up the left flank with an opponent flagging in his wake.

View from the terracing: Did you see that? Either Tommy has just shot or someone has ordered a missile strike.

32. Alan Gilzean 1938-

Show me your medals: Won league championship with Dundee in 1964, FA Cup (1967), two League Cups (1971, 73), and UEFA Cup in 1972 with Tottenham Hotspur. Played 22 times for Scotland, scoring 12 goals.

Class is permanent: Described by Don Revie as the finest touch player in Europe at the start of the 1970s, Gilzean was the poster boy of Dundee's run to the European Cup semi-finals. He scored nine goals in the process which helped secure a move to Tottenham Hotspur where he formed two potent partnerships alongside Jimmy Greaves and Martin Chivers, contributing numerous goals and assists with an elaborate flick of his shiny pate. He was also more than accomplished on the ground and was the perfect foil for the quicksilver Greaves and then the formidable Chivers. His body language was languid but he was an aggressive, accomplished forward with an excellent record with the national team.

View from the terracing: The Hero of Male Pattern Baldness.

31. Willie Henderson 1944-

Show me your medals: With Rangers, two titles, four Scottish Cups, two League Cups. 29 caps.

Class is permanent: The archetypal winger. Grit is in his very spirit and in his knees after a severe brush with trackside. Henderson was quick, direct and skilful. He had character and was a character. The basic requirement for a winger in the 1960s was to be small and brave. Henderson was both and much more. He understood his first task was to reach the bye-line and cross for his centre-forward to score but he could also hit the back the net himself, scoring a very respectable 62 goals in 426 games for Rangers. His contribution to Rangers was substantial, marked in the currency of goals and assists, but he was also an entertainer. Ibrox roared as he sped towards goal and the fans bayed for yet another taunting of a bemused full-back.

View from the terracing: Slow down, Willie, you're running out of grass.

Taken from the Herald