Greatest Premier XI: Arthur Numan? Maurice Malpas? Or Kieran Tierney? Who gets the nod at left back?

Craig Brown, the former Scotland, Motherwell and Aberdeen manager, and Archie Knox, the ex- Aberdeen, Rangers and Scotland assistant, have coached many of those in contention for a place and have also pitched in with their expert opinions.

Our decisions have been based on three criteria, ability, longevity and success. Danny McGrain was named Greatest Premier XI right back yesterday. Who is left back?

LEFT BACK

5

Name: Davie Robertson.

Clubs: Aberdeen (1986 to 1991) and Rangers (1991 to 1997).

Titles: Seven (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997).

Robertson has found himself back in the headlines recently following his expletive-laden appearances in two BBC documentaries about Real Kashmir, the Indian I-League club he has managed since 2017.

Opposition wingers and full-backs were known to mutter a few swear words when they found themselves up against the redoubtable left back. 

He came through the youth ranks at Aberdeen and helped his home town club win the League Cup in 1989 and the Scottish Cup in 1990 before joining Rangers in a £970,000 transfer in 1991. He was an ever-present in the team that completed Nine-In-A-Row.

He also played in their unbeaten Champions League run, including in the Leeds United and Marseille matches, in the 1992/93 season.

The defender was Mr Consistency for Walter Smith’s side, rarely allowing his standards to drop. He moved on to Leeds United in 1997. It was a surprise he only won three caps for Scotland in his career. “Davie was quick, aggressive and a good tackler as well,” said Knox.

4

Name: Tom Boyd

Clubs: Motherwell (1983 to 1991) and Celtic (1992 to 2003).

Titles: Three (1998, 2001 and 2002).

The versatile Scotland defender arrived at Celtic – in a swap deal that saw Tony Cascarino move to Chelsea - at a time when the Parkhead club were struggling. It took the Glasgow-born player six years to win the title as a result of the off-field turmoil.

But he proved himself to be a quality performer in that time. And he certainly enjoyed a successful end to his spell at his boyhood heroes. He was club captain when Wim Jansen’s side ended Rangers extended spell of domestic dominance in 1998.

And he helped Martin O’Neill’s team win the treble in 2001. He was only the second man to skipper Celtic to a clean sweep of domestic trophies after Billy McNeill.

He was composed on the ball, possessed great vision and had the ability to leave his opposite number for dead. He was, too, comfortable playing at both right back and centre half. But left back was, even though he was right-footed, his preferred position. For many supporters, he was their best full-back since the legendary Danny McGrain. 

Boyd made his Scotland debut when he was a player at Motherwell in 1990 – the year before the Fir Park club won the Scottish Cup - and went on to represent the national team at Euro ’92, Euro ’96 and France ’98. He is the country’s sixth most-capped player with 72 appearances.

3 

Name: Kieran Tierney.

Clubs: Celtic (2015 to 2018).

Titles: Four (2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019).

Scotland’s most expensive footballer. In stark contrast to Boyd, Tierney enjoyed instantaneous success at Celtic. He established himself in the first team at Parkhead in the 2015/16 season when he was still a teenager, helped Ronny Deila’s side win the Scottish title in his first full season and then stepped up a level when Brendan Rodgers took over.

He was an automatic selection in the teams which won back-to-back trebles under the Northern Irishman. With good reason. He played with a maturity and confidence that belied his tender years. He loved to get upfield, beat his man and whip crosses or play cut backs in to his team mates. Defensively, he was no slouch either.

He forced his way into the Scotland team in his first full campaign, switched to the right to accommodate Andy Robertson of Liverpool in the national team and has won 12 caps to date. Personally, he scooped the PFA Scotland and SFWA Young Player of the Year awards three years running.

The 22-year-old’s inevitable departure to Arsenal last summer for a Scottish record £25m fee caused many supporters to turn on him. But he truly was the fan who lived the dream. He sat in the stands cheering on his team mates when he wasn’t involved.

Tierney has been hampered by injuries at the Emirates. But it will be fascinating to see the impact he makes in the English top flight when he returns to full fitness. His potential is frightening.

2

Name: Arthur Numan.

Clubs: Rangers (1998 to 2003)

Titles: Three (1999, 2000 and 2003).

Dick Advocaat brought a raft of his fellow Dutchmen to Glasgow after being appointed Rangers manager in 1998. Ronald De Boer, Bert Kontermann, Michael Mols, Fernando Ricksen and Giovanni van Bronckhorst all endeared themselves to the Ibrox support in the coming years. But Arthur Numan was arguably the most successful.

A £4.5 million capture from PSV Eindhoven, he was a fixture in the side for the following five seasons, helped Rangers complete domestic trebles in 1999 and 2003 and won no fewer than 10 major honours. He excelled in Europe too.

The Netherlands internationalist, who won 45 caps for his country, was a classy footballer. He was very much a modern full-back with a great engine and admirable work ethic who was good going upfield with the ball at his feet. But he was clever, too, and rarely caught out at the back.

He loved Rangers and has often been sighted cheering on the team with the fans since retiring aged just 32 back in 2003.

1

Name: Maurice Malpas

Clubs: Dundee United (1979 to 2000).

Titles: One (1983).

The ultimate one club man. The Dunfermline-born defender combined studying for an electrical engineering degree with his football career in his early years at Dundee United. But that didn’t hold him back.

He helped the Tannadice club to win the Premier Division for the first and only time in 1983, missing only two matches all season, and then made his Scotland debut in 1984. He is the last part part-time player to represent the national team.

That honour came shortly after he helped Jim McLean’s side reach the semi-final of the European Cup. He would go on to make another 54 appearances for his country and play at Mexico ’86, Italia ’90 and Euro ’92.

He continued to excel on Tayside after going full-time and helped United reach the UEFA Cup final in 1987. He captained United to their first Scottish Cup triumph in 1994. He retired as a player in 2000 after playing 19 seasons in the top flight and making 830 first team appearances and was rewarded with a second testimonial match.

“Maurice wasn’t, like Willie Miller, the quickest,” said Knox. “But he read the game so well. They say forwards have a couple of yards in their head. Maurice was the same. He always knew where the ball was.”

“Maurice was quality,” said Brown. “He was calm and assured and his distribution was excellent. He won titles and played in European finals for a provincial team.”

UNLUCKY TO MISS OUT: Emilio Izaguirre, Gary Naysmith, Sasa Papac, Andy Robertson.

THE TEAM SO FAR  

1 - Andy Goram (goalkeeper).
2 - Danny McGrain (right back).
3 – Maurice Malpas (left back).
4 - TBC (defensive midfielder). 
5 - TBC (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.