Most under-rated Scottish players ever!

[exile]

Since we're doing over-rated, then just to be positive, who would be your most under-rated Scottish player(s) ever? Could include players who never made the Scotland squad and/or first team appearances, but who maybe didn't get the credit they might have deserved?

[exile]

I was going to start in the deep past but then I am struggling to remember how 'rated' the players actually were at the time. John Wark maybe under-rated?

Also the question could include players who were under-used (maybe under-capped or only brought on as late subs etc) so their contribution stats may be low but relative to minutes on the park, better than they were given credit for?

[Orraloon]

Bobby Russell. 

[Big Ramy 1314]

Jim Bett

[ErsatzThistle]

From recent years ....

Gary Naysmith

Paul Hartley

Graham Alexander

James Morrison

Callum McGregor

 

And from further back, my Grandad told me that Jimmy Cowan was a fantastic goalie for Scotland.

[exile]

I thought originally of Paul Sturrock but looking at his goals tally, not so great, but if I remember correctly, he maybe didn't get as many chances as others.

If I recall, when Alex Ferguson had shot he brought in a few less fancied players from the so-called New Firm (for example Eamonn Bannon wjo played in the World Cup in Mexico), but he wasn't around long enough to make a difference. 

I see that Ralph Milne has been considered one of the best players to not receive a full international cap.

[er yir macaroon]

8 minutes ago, exile said:

I thought originally of Paul Sturrock but looking at his goals tally, not so great, but if I remember correctly, he maybe didn't get as many chances as others.

If I recall, when Alex Ferguson had shot he brought in a few less fancied players from the so-called New Firm (for example Eamonn Bannon wjo played in the World Cup in Mexico), but he wasn't around long enough to make a difference. 

I see that Ralph Milne has been considered one of the best players to not receive a full international cap.

Sturrock was more a second striker. Tremendous player for Utd.

My tuppence worth, Peter Weir was phenomenal on his day. 

[Auchinyell Sox Change]

7 hours ago, er yir macaroon said:

Sturrock was more a second striker. Tremendous player for Utd.

My tuppence worth, Peter Weir was phenomenal on his day. 

Weir was outstanding for Dons , national team not so much - i recall Fergie had 'influenced' ? Stein to play half of the Dons team v N Ireland away (last home championships - 83 i think) we lost 2-0 and were mince , as were non regular Dons players , Rougvie etc

underrated (although i never really rated him ....) but did bang in a few goals at national level in euro 92 qualifying - scott booth - i think john robertson was similar too ?

= John Mcginally did well when he came in , as did Billy Dodds

another "band aid" solution would be Gordon Greer -the ageing rocker who did well against Poland

[mccaughey85]

1 hour ago, Auchinyell Sox Change said:

Weir was outstanding for Dons , national team not so much - i recall Fergie had 'influenced' ? Stein to play half of the Dons team v N Ireland away (last home championships - 83 i think) we lost 2-0 and were mince , as were non regular Dons players , Rougvie etc

underrated (although i never really rated him ....) but did bang in a few goals at national level in euro 92 qualifying - scott booth - i think john robertson was similar too ?

= John Mcginally did well when he came in , as did Billy Dodds

another "band aid" solution would be Gordon Greer -the ageing rocker who did well against Poland

John mcginlay is definitely underrated imo. Guy would be picked up by an epl side if he was around nowadays. His goal record at everywhere he played was excellent and he scored some important goals for bolton wanderers.

Pretty sure he was quite late in getting into pro football and was playing highland league in his early years.

[Arbroath1320]

13 hours ago, Big Ramy 1314 said:

Jim Bett

I agree - a fabulous two-footed player who could shoot, tackle and run with the ball.

 

His problem was his versatility - he was not a specialist who could only play one position. Sometimes players are just too good for dim-witted Scottish managers who do not know what to do with them. I think Dalglish also falls into this category: trying to get on the end of knock-downs from Joe Jordan when he was capable of giving us much, much more.

[Toepoke]

16 hours ago, ErsatzThistle said:

Graham Alexander

Would be one of my picks, after a shaky start became a very reliable performer for us.

Gordon Durie might be worth a mention. Didn't receive many plaudits but his physicality up front came in very useful. Also the only man to play in four tournaments for Scotland. 

 

[Rich NATA]

Ikechi Anya?

[romanticscot]

45 minutes ago, Rich NATA said:

Ikechi Anya?

Yes, always gave his best and more often or not outshone most if our players on the pitch. I wish he got his first cap earlier and his latter domestic career lasted longer with more game time.

Edited July 5, 2022 by romanticscot

[Rich NATA]

5 minutes ago, romanticscot said:

Yes, always gave his best and more often or not outshone most if our players on the pitch. I wish he got his first cap earlier and his latter domestic career lasted longer with more game time.

I absolutely loved watching Ikechi Anya. First name on the team-sheet for me.

 

... and I love this photo of him after sticking it past Nauer.

Just look at what it meant to him. Brilliant wee man.

 

 

 

 

[glasgow jock]

Charlie Nicholas !! - could and should have been an all time great, he had all the natural talent in the world.

However not being the brightest, serious injury and lifestyle put paid to that.

[fringo]

1 hour ago, Rich NATA said:

Ikechi Anya?

I agree.

[Guest Scot1]

Derek Johnstone played only 14 games for Scotland. Played as a striker, in midfield and as a centre half.

Davie Dodds played only twice for Scotland. He’d walk into the team today. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by Scot1

[Orraloon]

1 hour ago, Scot1 said:

Derek Johnstone played only 14 games for Scotland. Played as a striker, in midfield and as a centre half.

Davie Dodds played only twice for Scotland. He’d walk into the team today. 

I agree on Derek Johnstone, he was a fantastic footballer. When he was at his peak he was competing against Joe Jordan at centre forward and Gordon McQueen at centre half. Not easy, but I think he should have been given more games at centre forward. I also think that if Jock Wallace had stayed on at Ibrox, Johnstone's career at the top would have lasted longer. When Wallace left first time round, that was when Johnstone's fitness started to slip and he always carried a few extra pounds after that. 

[ErsatzThistle]

I don't know if this is true but the rumour I've heard is that Anya (who is an evangelical Christian) is now studying to become a minister of his church. Might be a lot of nonsense, mind you !

[Auchinyell Sox Change]

3 hours ago, glasgow jock said:

Charlie Nicholas !! - could and should have been an all time great, he had all the natural talent in the world.

However not being the brightest, serious injury and lifestyle put paid to that.

And signing for a very turgid Arsenal

[theabsentee]

6 hours ago, Auchinyell Sox Change said:

And signing for a very turgid Arsenal

 

[theabsentee]

6 hours ago, Auchinyell Sox Change said:

And signing for a very turgid Arsenal

Some good shouts here especially w Sturrock & Weir, wasn't a huge fan of Davie Dodds at the time but he would certainly have plenty caps playing in this era. 

   A couple of central defenders that i reckon would also have a good few caps if they played in this time are Jim Duffy & Motherwells Brian Martin.  Admit i didn't see a lot of Duffy but he seemed similar to Willie Miller, Thought Martin was brilliant for a couple of seasons at motherwell, very unlucky only to get 2 caps 

[GHfaeGTA]

Don’t think Dodds got much credit in that United team, certainly not compared to the likes of Narey, Hegarty, Sturrock, Bannon and Milne, but his goalscoring record was phenomenal. Certainly no one has come close at Tannadice in the scoring charts in the around 40 years since he was at his peak. Probably deserved more than 2 caps and is light years better than the strikers we have seen playing for Scotland recently eg McBurnie, Dykes. 

Edited July 6, 2022 by GHfaeGTA

[Fairbairn]

On 7/6/2022 at 2:02 PM, GHfaeGTA said:

Don’t think Dodds got much credit in that United team, certainly not compared to the likes of Narey, Hegarty, Sturrock, Bannon and Milne, but his goalscoring record was phenomenal. Certainly no one has come close at Tannadice in the scoring charts in the around 40 years since he was at his peak. Probably deserved more than 2 caps and is light years better than the strikers we have seen playing for Scotland recently eg McBurnie, Dykes. 

I've got something in the bottom drawer of my freezer.  I'm not sure what it is, it might be meat of some sort or it could be a veg stew.  Whatever it is it's been there for ages and I should really throw it out.  I'd play it up front before McBurnie though.

[ceudmilefailte]

5 hours ago, Fairbairn said:

I've got something in the bottom drawer of my freezer.  I'm not sure what it is, it might be meat of some sort or it could be a veg stew.  Whatever it is it's been there for ages and I should really throw it out.  I'd play it up front before McBurnie though.

Be interesting to see what happens to McBurnie next. He's got a year of his contract left and if he's as bad as everyone thinks, there won't be anyone interested in paying him a wage that would get him out of bed

Could be the first £20,000,000( too many zeros?} to retire at 26.

Alternative is probably a loan move to Rangers which would  rekindle his love of football as he became a legend scoring for fun in the SPFL.