Derek JOHNSTONE

Although centre-half was his preferred position, Johnstone was an outstanding goal-scorer and is one of the top marksmen in Rangers' long and distinguished history. His aerial ability made him a constant menace at set-pieces and he also boasted good touch and ability for a man of his size. He is one of a small band of Rangers players that have netted over 200 goals for the club in the post-war era, and before the advent of Ally McCoist, Derek's tally of 132 league goals marked him out as the club's top post-war league goal-scorer. When you consider that he played a large chunk of his career playing in defence then this is a quite remarkable achievement.

Lured away from his native Dundee and out of the clutches of his boyhood heroes Dundee United, Johnstone signed on at Ibrox as a schoolboy in 1968 and turned professional in 1970. Within a few months, he was in the first-team, scoring twice on his debut, a 5-0 victory over Cowdenbeath in the league and he would remain a constant in the Rangers team for well over a decade (see photo above, Derek pictured in 1982). His debut was a fine start, but Johnstone thrust himself into the limelight a few months later when his header secured a 1-0 victory over Celtic in the Scottish League Cup Final of 1970/71. Derek was just sixteen-years-old at the time, but the faith shown in his ability by manager Willie Waddell paid off handsomely, as Rangers claimed their first piece of silverware for almost five years.

Despite his heroics against Celtic, Derek found regular first-team outings in the number nine jersey hard to come by, largely due to the presence of Colin Stein, Scotland's first £100, 000 player, although he did score eleven goals in sixteen league appearances during the 1971/72 season. He compensated for his lack of frontline action by often playing as a centre-back when either Ronnie McKinnon or Colin Jackson were injured, and when the duo were ruled out of the European Cup Winners' Cup Final in 1972, Johnstone, still only eighteen, deputised in the showpiece match against Moscow Dynamo. His mature display in Rangers' 3-2 victory belied his youth and inexperience, and his adaptability had many comparing him to the celebrated Welshman John Charles who had also excelled in both positions during a wonderful career with Leeds United, Juventus and Wales.

With performances such as this, Johnstone soon became a regular in the starting line-up, and he picked up a Scottish Cup winners' medal in 1973 when Rangers defeated Celtic 3-2 at Hampden Park. Derek played a huge role in the winning goal, rising above the Celtic defence to head a Tommy McLean free-kick towards goal, and when his header struck both posts, Tam Forsyth was on hand to nudge the rebound over the line. The McLean-Johnstone combination that created this famous goal was a hallmark of Rangers' play in the 1970s and was the source of a great many of the 210 goals that 'DJ' eventually scored for the club. (Alistair Aird, Author of Ally McCoist - Portrait of a Hero)

Although 1976/77 was a barren season for Rangers, they came back with a bang in 1977/78 by winning their second Treble inside three years. Derek was the outstanding performer in what was an exceptional Rangers side, scoring thirty-eight goals over the course of the campaign and picking up the Scottish Football Writers' Player of the Year accolade. However, despite his rich vein of scoring form, Johnstone was overlooked by Ally McLeod during Scotland's ill-fated World Cup campaign in Argentina. Although he was a member of the squad, he did not start any of the three matches that the Scots played.

With Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur reportedly interested in luring Rangers' top marksman to London, 'DJ' submitted a transfer request in the summer of 1978. He was seeking a new challenge in his career, but the intervention of new Rangers manager John Greig persuaded Johnstone to stay in Glasgow. He was named club captain, and in his first season with the armband, he almost led Rangers to an unprecedented second successive Treble. Only a last-gasp 4-2 defeat against Celtic at Parkhead robbed Rangers of the Championship, but Johnstone did get his hands on the Scottish Cup - he scored twice in the Final's second replay against Hibernian - and the Scottish League Cup.

That season was to be the high watermark for the John Greig era, though, and Rangers' fortunes nose-dived spectacularly thereafter. They did win the Scottish Cup in 1981 and the Scottish League Cup in 1982, but they found themselves playing second fiddle in the Premier Division to Celtic and the emerging 'New Firm' of Aberdeen and Dundee United.

Derek was placed on the transfer list by John Greig in April 1983, and he left Ibrox after the Scottish Cup Final defeat against Aberdeen to try his luck south of the border with Chelsea, the Londoners paying a fee of £30, 000 to secure his signature. But his time at Stamford Bridge was not a success and he was tempted back to Ibrox by Jock Wallace in January 1985 for £25, 000. He returned to a Rangers side that was in the midst of a doleful period in their history, and it was hoped that the return of a former favourite could galvanise an ailing team. Alas, it failed to work out and Johnstone was handed a free transfer when Graeme Souness took over the reins at Ibrox in the summer of 1986. He subsequently had a short spell as manager of Partick Thistle before taking up what has proved to be a hugely successful career as a football pundit on Radio Clyde. (Alistair Aird, Author of Ally McCoist - Portrait of a Hero)