Football

The 10 greatest Scotland wingers in football history have been named & ranked – in order

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2 days ago

November 2, 2024

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The 10 greatest Scotland wingers in football history have been named & ranked – in order

Key Takeaways

Scotland haven’t had too many incredible wide players to shout about in recent years, but the Tartan Army used to have many tricky wingers in their ranks.
Jimmy Johnstone’s exceptional talent and agility on the pitch earned him recognition as one of Scotland’s top wingers.
Willie Henderson’s numerous achievements, including winning Scottish Cups, establish him as a key winger in Scottish football history.

Although they are not known for having the best wingers in modern-day football, Scotland have produced some of the most electric wide players in football history. There is no doubt that there has been a decline in the quality of wide players in the current Scotland squad. However, some great icons spring to mind.

Jim Baxter was once regarded as one of the best players in Scotland, starring in a Rangers side that enjoyed plenty of success in the 1960s. However, his off-the-field antics meant his playing career was cut short.

Despite the fact that he didn’t feature heavily in a Scotland jersey, Jimmy Johnstone was one of the most talented wingers in the nation’s history. His quick feet and burst of pace made him impossible to defend against. With that in mind, here are the 10 best Scottish wingers who have worn the famous dark blue jersey.

Greatest Scottish Wingers in Football History
Rank	Name	Active Years	Scotland Caps
1.	Jim Baxter	1957-1970	34
2.	Jimmy Johnstone	1961-1979	23
3.	Davie Cooper	1974-1995	24
4.	Dave Mackay	1957-1965	22
5.	John Robertson	1970-1986	28
6.	Archie Gemmill	1971-1981	43
7.	John Collins	1984-2014	58
8.	Willie Henderson	1960-1979	29
9.	Peter Lorimer	1962-1986	21
10.	Pat Nevin	1983-2000	28

10 Pat Nevin

Active Years: 1983-2000

Nevin had a very successful 20-year career, representing the likes of Clyde, Chelsea, Everton, Tranmere Rovers, Kilmarnock and Motherwell. The winger won 28 caps for his country, making his debut against Romania in 1986.

Although he featured at Euro 92, he wasn’t selected in the final squads for the 1986 or 1990 World Cups. Nevin, who trained with Celtic as a youngster but was rejected for being too small, signed for Clyde in 1981.

In his first season, he scored 14 goals and helped the club win the Scottish Second Division title. Due to his impressive performances, he was voted SPFA Second Division Player of the Year.

9 Peter Lorimer

Active Years: 1962-1986

Dundee born, Peter Lorimer is best known for his time with Leeds United. The Scotsman was the club’s youngest-ever player and was capable of finding the back of the net with thunderous strikes from distance. Lorimer captained Leeds for one year, from 1984 to 1985. The attacking midfielder, who also played on either flank, scored four goals in 21 appearances for his country.

However, his international career was filled with controversy. Shortly after making his breakthrough, he chose to go on a coaching trip to South Africa rather than join up with the rest of the Scotland squad.

Subsequently, he was given a lifetime ban by the Scottish FA, although this was lifted in time for Lorimer to participate in the 1974 World Cup. At the tournament, he scored in the opening 2-0 victory over Zaire. Despite this, Lorimer was unable to prevent his country from bowing out of the tournament after successive draws with Brazil and Yugoslavia.

8 Willie Henderson

Active Years: 1960-1979

Willie Henderson spent the majority of his career at Rangers before playing for Sheffield Wednesday in the latter stages of his career. The winger won his first Scotland cap as an 18-year-old in a 3-2 victory over Wales, which is an impressive accomplishment considering only eight players won a cap at a younger age. After making his debut, he established himself as a regular member of the Scotland national team, winning more caps in total than fellow right-winger, Jimmy Johnstone.

During his time at Ibrox, he made over 400 appearances, contributing to four Scottish Cups, two League Cups and two Scottish Championships. He was also a key player in the team that got to the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1967. However, he was not involved in the 1972 triumph, as he had left Rangers just prior due to a fallout with manager Willie Waddell.

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7 John Collins

Active Years: 1984-2014

John Collins, who played primarily on the left flank, represented several clubs in a variety of leagues. He played for Hibernian, Celtic and AS Monaco before moving to England to represent Everton and then Fulham. Collins signed for Celtic and became their first £1m player. During his time with the Scottish giants, he scored 55 goals in 273 appearances.

In his 19-year career span, he received 58 caps for Scotland and, significantly, scored in the opening match of the 1998 FIFA World Cup match against Brazil. At the tournament, he equalised from the penalty spot against a star-studded Selecao lineup that featured the likes of Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo.

6 Archie Gemmill

Active years: 1971-1981

Archie Gemmill, who could also play in central midfield, appeared in a significant number of matches in a wider role. In the 1966-67 season, Gemmill made history by becoming the first official substitute to be used in Scottish football. The Scot replaced Jim Lunie in a League Cup match against Clyde. At club level, Gemmill won three English League titles and a European Cup.

Internationally, Gemmill was an influential figure, captaining his nation in over half of his 43 caps. His fantastic solo goal against the Netherlands was enough to warrant his position on this list. It’s regarded by supporters as the greatest goal scored by a Scotland player at a major tournament, which is another incredible feat in itself.

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5 John Robertson

Active Years: 1970-1986

John Robertson has a variety of important contributions that many other players would dream of having. At club level, he provided the cross for Trevor Francis’ winner against Malmo in the European Cup final as Nottingham Forest lifted the trophy for the first time in 1979.

During his time at Forest, he also won promotion from the Football League Second Division in 1977. Robertson also got his hands on the Football League First Division, the UEFA Super Cup, two Football League Cups, the FA Charity Shield and the Anglo-Scottish Cup.

A year later, he scored the only goal in the game against Hamburg, as Forest sealed back-to-back European Cups. For Scotland, he scored the winning goal at Wembley, which was a historic career highlight.

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4 Dave Mackay

Active years: 1957-1965

Dave Mackay, who was considered a left-half player, had a largely successful career that began in his homeland. After signing for his local club, Hearts, the wide player helped his team win three domestic cups and a Scottish Premiership title.

His performances earned him a move to Tottenham, where he won the English title, three FA Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup. At Derby County, his success continued, and he won the English top division for a second time in 1969.

However, for his country, he made just 22 caps and this was because of the two serious leg breaks he suffered. Despite this, his personal accolades alone warrant a high position on this list. Mackay won Scottish Player of the Year and Football Writers Association’s Player of the Year before being inducted into the English and Scottish Hall of Fame.

3 Davie Cooper

Active Years: 1974-1995

Rivaling Gemmill for the greatest goal is Davie Cooper, who found the back of the net with an incredible effort against Celtic in the 1979 Dryburgh Cup final. The winger signed for Scottish giants Rangers in June 1977 for £100,000.

In the next decade, he made over 300 appearances for the Ibrox club, cementing his status as an all-time great, but also a Rangers legend. During his time with the club, he won the Scottish Premier Division on three occasions. Furthermore, Cooper received praise from legend Ruud Gullit, who named Cooper as the greatest player he had ever played against.

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2 Jimmy Johnstone

Active Years: 1961-1979

Jimmy Johnstone will go down as one of the greatest players to ever emerge from Scotland. He was nicknamed ‘Jinky’ for his exquisite dribbling style, which allowed him to evade defenders with ease.

Johnstone was part of the famous Lisbon Lions that won the 1967 European Cup final. Alongside this, he scored over 100 goals for Celtic and was voted as the club’s greatest-ever player by fans in 2002.

Able to play on either flank, Johnstone won 23 caps for Scotland and played a crucial role in their 2-0 victory over England. His individual achievements are particularly impressive, with the winger finishing third in voting for the 1967 Ballon d’Or, and he was also inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame when it was inaugurated in 2004.

1 Jim Baxter

Active Years:1957-1970

Baxter takes top spot on this list as the greatest winger in Scotland’s history. His best years came at Rangers, where he won 10 trophies in five years with the wide man playing a crucial role in all of those triumphs.

In two and a half years at Sunderland, he scored 12 goals in 98 appearances. In England, he began to get a reputation for drinking heavily the night before a match before playing the opposition off the park the day after.

In 1967, he moved to Nottingham Forest and, after playing 50 games for them, returned to Rangers before retiring in 1970 at the age of 31. Between 1960 and 1967, Baxter was an influential member of the Scotland national team, which lost only once to England.

His best international performance came in a 2-1 victory over England where he scored both goals even though his team were reduced to 10 players. Four years later he ran the same opposition ragged, taunting England at every opportunity in a 3-2 win.