Greatest Premier XI: Which centre half has kept Rangers great Richard Gough out of the starting line-up?

But Herald and Times Sport writers have still managed to come up with the two players they believe to be the outstanding stoppers since the Premier Division was formed in 1975.

Craig Brown, the former Scotland, Motherwell and Aberdeen manager, and Archie Knox, the ex- Aberdeen, Rangers and Scotland assistant, have also offered their expert opinions. Our decisions have been based on three criteria - ability, longevity and success.

Today we name five of the eminent exponents of the dark art of defending in the last 45 years and decide who will play inside right back Danny McGrain in the dream team.

5

Name: Johan Mjallby.

Clubs: Celtic (1998 to 2004).

Titles: Three (2001, 2002 and 2004).

The Swede may have been signed, as a midfielder initially, by for £1.5m in 1998 long before Martin O’Neill was appointed manager. But he epitomised the uncompromising style of play the Northern Irishman brought in after being appointed in 2000. He was physical, solid defensively, good on the deck and immense in the air, both at the front and the back.

After two seasons of disappointment and underachievement, Mjallby was an integral part of the treble-winning side 2001 and then helped the Glasgow club reach the 2003 UEFA Cup final. A persistent knee injury ended his career at the highest level. He remains, though, revered down Parkhead way.    

4

Name: Davie Weir.

Clubs: Falkirk, (1992 to 1996), Hearts (1996 to 1999) and Rangers (2007 to 2012).

Titles: Three (2009, 2010 and 2011).

The Falkirk-born footballer spent the best years of his career in England at Everton. But his time at Hearts before that was a great success. He won the Scottish Cup in 1998. And at Rangers towards the end of his playing days he attained legendary status. He was an intelligent footballer who was a born leader.

Weir initially moved to Ibrox at the age of 36 on a six-month loan deal in January 2007 after Walter Smith, one of his managers at Goodison Park, had succeeded Paul Le Guen. He stayed for five years, captained his boyhood heroes, was an inspiration during the run to the 2008 UEFA Cup final and won eight major honours, including three titles.

At international level, he made 69 appearances for Scotland and is his country’s seventh most capped player.

3

Name: David Narey.

Clubs: Dundee United (1973 to 1994)

Titles: One (1983).

The Dundee-born player spent 21 years at his home town club United before having a brief and glorious final campaign with nearby Raith Rovers. But Archie Knox, who coached him at Tannadice when he was just a youngster, is convinced “he could have played for any club he wanted to”. Had he not been such a home bird who knows how high he could have gone?

Still, David Narey did rather well on Tayside. He made his debut shortly after signing as a professional aged 16 in 1973, formed an outstanding central defensive partnership with Paul Hegarty and became a regular in Jim McLean’s formidable side. He was a key player when they won the Scottish title in 1983.

He was a class act. He was versatile and played in midfield and at right back as well as in central defence. He was lightning quick, read the game well and was an outstanding tackler. He excelled in European football thanks to those strengths. He helped United reach the European Cup semi-final in 1984 and beat Barcelona home and away en route to the UEFA Cup final in 1987.

He became the first United player to be capped by Scotland in 1977 and went on to play for the national team at the World Cup in Spain in 1982 – where he scored his sensational long-range strike against Brazil – and Mexico in 1986. He made 35 appearances for the national team in total.

“Narey was a top, top footballer,” said Knox “I coached him at Dundee United when he was a kid. He had extraordinary ability even then. He never, ever panicked. I don’t think he was ever sent off in his career.”

2

Name: Richard Gough. 

Clubs: Dundee United (1980 to 1986) and Rangers (1987 to 1997 and 1997 to 1998).

Titles: Ten (1983, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997).

Richard Gough was the first signing that Rangers, that any Scottish club in fact, ever made that cost over £1m. But that outlay proved to be money very well spent. He became one of the Ibrox club’s all-time greats and was the only player to receive winners’ medals in every one of the Nine-In-A-Row seasons.

Gough was a member of a star-studded and expensively-assembled side in that time. But where would they have been without him? He led by example whenever a game kicked off and drove those around him on. The enormous respect which fans hold their former captain in endures to this day.  

Stockholm-born and South Africa-raised, he first emerged at Dundee United in the 1980s. He played at right back as Jim McLean’s team won the Premier Division in 1983.

He picked up the first of 61 Scotland caps that season and went on to play at Mexico ’86, Italia ’90 and Euro ’92. A forthright character, a falling out with Andy Roxburgh and Craig Brown ended his international career.

After a season at Spurs he joined Rangers. The rest is history. As a player, Gough was as hard as nails and always prepared to put his body on the line to prevent a goal. But he was cultured as well and posed a threat, at set pieces especially, up front.

In short, he is one of the best defenders, players even, this country has ever produced. Brown said: “Gough could play in any company.” So why the hell is he not in the Greatest Premier XI?

1

Name: Alex McLeish.

Clubs: Aberdeen (1978 to 1994) and Motherwell (1994 to 1995).

Titles: Three (1980, 1984 and 1985).

Archie Knox worked with Richard Gough at Rangers for many years and Alex McLeish at Aberdeen before that. He was unable to pick one ahead of the other. “It is very hard to separate Gough and McLeish,” he said. “Having worked with them both, it is impossible to single out one.”

There are so many similarities between them. McLeish was also a fearless competitor and fine footballer for both club and country for many years in the 1980s and 1990s and enjoyed extraordinary success as well. He won no fewer than 12 trophies during his time at Aberdeen and was capped by Scotland on 77 occasions.

But the boy from Barrhead just edges it because he did so with a provincial outfit, albeit one managed by Alex Ferguson and full of talented individuals. He also savoured success in continental competition. He won the European Cup Winners’ Cup and Super Cup with the Pittodrie club in 1983.

The identity of the other central defender in the starting line-up may also have swung it in his favour.

UNLUCKY TO MISS OUT: Too many to mention.

THE TEAM SO FAR  

1 - Andy Goram (goalkeeper).
2 - Danny McGrain (right back).
3 – Maurice Malpas (left back).
4 - TBC (defensive midfielder). 
5 – Alex McLeish (centre back).
6 - TBC  (centre back).
7 - TBC  (right winger).
8 - TBC (attacking midfielder).
9 - TBC (centre forward).
10 - TBC (striker).
11 - TBC (left winger).

TOMORROW: CENTRE HALF.