Ken McNaught
Kenneth " Ken " McNaught ( born January 11, 1955 in Kirkcaldy ) is a former Scottish football player and son of former national player Willie McNaught. The central defender was known after the first professional years for Everton particularly as a member of the successful beginning of the 1980s team of Aston Villa. Usually on the side of defensive partner Allan Evans in 1981 he won the British Championship and one year later the European Champions Cup and the Super Cup.
Sports career
Everton FC (1972-1977)
After he had Everton 1971 connected to a successful audition in connection McNaught came just before his 20th birthday in the FA Cup against FC Altrincham ( 1:1; replay: 2-0) to the first two duty stakes. Shortly afterwards, four league games in the First Division, but the breakthrough of the talented central defender, who knew its size and robustness, as it intelligently as well as " tough but fair " use, it only about a year later succeeded from the end of February 1976. In 1976/77 season, he acted mostly on the side of Mick Lyons and he was the only Everton player, who played all 58 games duty. This included the "Marathon" in the League Cup final against Aston Villa, which was lost after two replays (0:0, 1:1, 2:3 ). On the opposing side, coach Ron Saunders had taken the services from McNaught with considerable interest, and after the end of the season moved McNaught for a transfer fee of £ 200,000 to Liverpool. Since he was a crowd favorite at the Everton become supporters, the decision was received with disappointment. Reason for Personnel, however, was that his former promoter Billy Bingham had left the club and successor Gordon Lee wanted to use the cash infusion to buy a new goalkeeper ( George Wood ) and winger (Dave Thomas ).
Aston Villa (1977-1983)
Although McNaught was at first his place in the new team, but the vote in the middle was initially something to be desired. With his first defensive partner Leighton Phillips he harmonized not optimal and was replaced by John Gregory as this, this brought only slight improvements. That was expected of him to the FC for Southampton migrated popular Chris Nicholl to replace, did not make things easier. Finally, he recommended his coach Saunders the tall Allan Evans, who distinguished himself by a certain speed and knew how to defend on the right central defense side. This in turn came to meet McNaught, as he preferred the left of the two center-back positions.
The foundation for the future success was laid with it and cited by McNaught -Evans defense allowed in the 1980/81 season the league far fewest goals to. At the same time Aston Villa won the English championship and McNaught had again denied all 42 league games. Due to a knee surgery and a resultant venous thrombosis McNaught paused over long distances the season 1981/82, but then returned to the crucial roles back on the way to winning the European Cup of Champions 1982. Especially his goal in the quarter- final second leg 2-0 against Dynamo Kiev ( first leg: 0-0) and the " defensive battle " in the final against FC Bayern Munich ( 1-0) in Rotterdam brought him great recognition. The next highlight was winning the Super Cup against FC Barcelona, as McNaught after a 0-1 first-leg defeat in the return leg diving header in the extension of the 3:0 and thus marked the decision in January 1983.
Because of the damage caused his injury was not playing McNaught but from then on the highest level. The clot had remained despite his injury in the calf and made sure that McNaughts musculoskeletal system was limited. Steadily he had to struggle to eliminate the recurring swelling and in August 1983 he moved to West Bromwich Albion Erstligakonkurrenten.
Recent career stations (1983-1986)
Although McNaught was in the 1983/84 season once again with 42 league operations " ever present ", but the physical problems came more and more into the foreground. In " WBA " henceforth he no longer played and in his second year, he helped turn of the year from the second division and later promoted Manchester City role. His last stop was another second division side in the season 1985/86 with Sheffield United before he ended the career in the summer of 1986. With the continuation of his career, he would have risked his health and possibly a leg amputation seriously after consultation with doctors.
After the football
Released from football in unemployment McNaught had difficulties with it in a civilian job to gain a foothold. Since the mortgage payments could not be made, McNaught had his house in Solihull sell and he returned to his Scottish homeland. After three years, he found a new job in the industry and he became the administrator of the plants in the Crieff Hydro Hotel, located in Perthshire.
His former Villa team -mate Jimmy Rimmer enabled him afterwards to return to the football, by recommending a position as director of the Chinese Academy club Dalian Shide him. His stay there was short-lived, and after they had not paid him for two months McNaught returned a second time back to Scotland. In Gleneagles make the next ten years he worked again in the local golf courses.
In 2002 he emigrated with his wife to Australia in Perth and he lived ( random) near his former teammates and the European Cup - winning goal scorers Peter Withe. McNaught opened a catering company and was there in the mining industry active, he supplied mostly. The independence proved to be the end of the decade for the mid-fifties, but increasingly as too burdensome and as him at Aston Villa an offer submitted to participate in the club and to lead the Association of Ex - players, he accepted this and returned to Birmingham.
Title / Awards
- European Champions Cup ( 1): 1982
- European Supercup ( 1): 1982
- English Championship ( 1): 1981
- Charity Shield ( 1): 1981