Richard GOUGH

of their team, unfairly so by and large - they simply demand ability allied with commitment, just like

any other fans. Most stereotypes, however, have at their heart a seed of truth, and when it comes to

centre halves their giddy demands are for a footballer steeped in the club's traditions of cultured football

who is also a born leader, shrewd tactician and as hard as teak. Unfeasible though these aspirations

may appear, in the modern era one man has fulfilled them, and that man is Richard Gough. Gough

had a relatively cosmopolitan upbringing, at least for a British footballer. Born in Sweden of a

Scottish father (who played for Charlton) and Swedish mother, he was brought up in South Africa,

but came to Scotland to begin his professional career with Dundee United in 1980.

David Pleat paid £750,000 for him in August 1986 and he went straight into the first team at the start

of the season. Gough tackled hard and climbed well in the air, standing for no nonsense in the penalty

box rough and tumble. He was quick enough to outpace all but the fastest of opponents, with a mind

sufficiently sharp to anticipate danger and immediately snuff out any threat. What shone through,

however, was his sheer skill and poise. He won challenges through impeccable timing rather than brute force.

Entirely comfortable in possession, the abiding memory is of a player who in most situations simply

got there first and came away with the ball, apparently without undue effort, breaking up opposition

offensives to begin the counter attack with smooth, accurate distribution.

A commanding figure in the box, Richard's astute awareness enabled him to marshal his defensive

colleagues to form a formidable barrier. He described his partnership with Gary Mabbutt as the most

effective in his career. Above all, he possessed the hallmark of true greatness on a football pitch, time.

Gough was calm and unhurried, exuding an air of command and authority without ever appearing arrogant

. Richard's goals were rare but important. His first contributed to the home victory in December against

Watford, a win that propelled Spurs on a run of nine league wins in eleven games that took them from

ninth to third in the table. The other, in an easy win against Southampton in February, took some pressure

off the forwards in the midst of a frantic run of games, as Spurs cranked up their challenge for all three

domestic competitions. Despite the disappointment of a League Cup semi-final defeat against Arsenal,

who over three games were ahead for precisely two minutes, Spurs vigorously pursued the double,

ultimately undone by a fixture backlog that forced them to play 10 games over 28 days, and then

by a deflected extra time goal in the Cup Final against Coventry. Cup runners-up and third in the

League nevertheless represented a fine season. With little prior warning, and to the great disappointment

of the Tottenham faithful, Gough signed for Rangers in autumn 1987, citing family reasons for the move.

The £1.5 million fee was a record at the time for a Scottish club, healthy for Tottenham's balance sheet

but a huge loss on the pitch. In the following seasons he cemented his place in the pantheon of Rangers'

greats, leading them to an unprecedented nine successive titles as well as racking up a total of 61 Scottish caps.

Apparently seeing out the twilight of his career in America, he returned to Premiership football with

Nottingham Forest and was still playing at Everton at the age of 39. A short spell of training at

Partick Thistle in November 2006 led to genuine speculation that he would resume his career aged 44,

a sign of his dedication, fitness and stature in the game. (Alan Fisher)