Richard Gough

Charles Richard Gough ( born April 5, 1962 in Stockholm ) is a former Scottish footballer. As a first right-back and center-back later, he won at the end of the 1980s and in the 1990s with the Glasgow Rangers Scottish championships in nine series and denied 1983-1993 a total of 61 caps for the " Bravehearts ".

Sports career

Richard Gough was born the son of the Scottish ex- footballer Charlie Gough and a Swede in Stockholm and grew up mostly on in South Africa. At the local Wits University in Johannesburg matured his footballer skills and so he sought early to start in the UK, a professional sports career. A trial with the Scottish top club Glasgow Rangers but did not produce the desired result and so it looked as if he should at Charlton Athletic - where his father had played - to stay. It came about as little; Instead, he signed in 1980 at the distinguished Scottish club Dundee United his first professional contract.

At the beginning of his career, Gough was not the later often praised " tower in the battle" in central defense, but he held in addition to the central defense stretching Paul Hegarty and David Narey the position of right-back - on the opposite side defended Maurice Malpas. Under coach Jim McLean Gough was in the first half of the 1980s, part of the most successful defensive series in the history of Dundee United; together, the club won for the first time in 1983 at all the Scottish Cup and also made in the European Cup competitions attracted attention ( including with Gough the semi-finals of the European Cup of Champions ). Despite the notable successes in the six-year period in Dundee, the time, the phalanx of the big clubs from Glasgow could be severely disrupted, Gough was not unlike Hegarty, Narey and Malpas here be lasting happiness. Gough, during the turn of the year 1981/82 after a South African home leave not to Dundee had to return, saw himself more as a central defender and he Hegarty and Narey could not repress this regard, he asked for a transfer release. For 750,000 pounds, he finally moved in August 1986 for English club Tottenham Hotspur.

The more than one-year stay in London was not a failure for Gough. He led the " Spurs " under manager David Pleat 1987 as a captain in the final of the FA Cup against Coventry City ( 2-3 aet ), but in October of the same year, he returned to Scotland, where he seven years after the mistrial in the trial but now hired at the Glasgow Rangers. In the " Gers " he was the first million (pounds ) transfer in the club's history and with the associated expectation came header and the ball - and -tackling strength Gough immediately along well. After the debut on the unloved right back position against former club Dundee United he played with his first goal in the match against rivals Celtic in the hearts of their own supporters. Under coach Graeme Souness and Walter Smith later won Gough in the years 1989 to 1997 Scottish Championships in nine series, which simultaneously succeeded only teammates Ally McCoist and Ian Ferguson. Seven of the nine titles won the team internally the undisputed leading figure ascended Gough after the departure of Terry Butcher in 1990, also as captain. Highlight this in successes ranging time brought three Scottish Cup and six League Cups with next to the championship titles, was the triple- season 1992/ 93 in Gough in sensational Champions League games at first the "Battle of Britain" against the English champions Leeds United and won in the group stage despite a total of ten games unbeaten in the competition the finals behind Olympique Marseille narrowly missed; overall not left the Rangers this season in 44 games in a row the field as losers.

"The team is drinking together and win together. "

Personal highlight was also his choice to Scotland's Player of the Year by the local journalists for Gough 1989 - three years before he was awarded the same honor by the players colleagues already been bestowed. Starting in 1997, Gough played a number of roles in Major League Soccer ( MLS ), where he moved only to the Kansas City Wizards, and from 1998 to San Jose Clash. Although he mostly took there only in the European season breaks, he was in 1997 after 17 league games for the Wizards of the All-Star team in the MLS. In Glasgow, he completed one final ( moderately successful ) season 1997/ 98 before he indirectly via San Jose and Nottingham Forest moved (as Players out on loan from March to May 1999) to Everton. In Liverpool Gough played under his former Rangers manager Walter Smith and mentors to 2001 Two final professional years before he trailed off the active career.

End of November 2004 Gough took his first head coaching job in the highest Scottish League and led the FC Livingston league. Nevertheless, this episode ended in May 2005 with his dismissal, as disagreements with the club owner had arisen with regard to the transfer budget. The Scottish Association SFA finished FC Livingston later due to irregularities in the commitment of the Moroccan Hassan Kachloul during the tenure of Gough with a 15,000 -pound penalty.

Scottish national

On March 30, 1983 Gough made ​​his debut for Scotland against Switzerland ( 2:2 ) under a European Championship qualifying match and on the side of Team Captain Graeme Souness, who later caught up with him as a coach to Glasgow Rangers. By 1993, he graduated from 61 caps - eight of them as captain - and Gough was represented in three finals tournaments ( two World Championships (1986 in Mexico, 1990 in Italy) and a European Championship (1992 in Sweden) ), but all ended in the first group stage.

After critical comments towards the team coach Andy Roxburgh and Craig Brown Gough's career ended prematurely in the Scottish national team in 1993.

Achievements / Title

  • Scottish Cup: 1983, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
  • Scottish Cup: 1992, 1993, 1996
  • Scottish League Cup: 1981, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997
  • Scotland's Player of the Year: 1986 ( player choice ), 1989 (journalists selection)
  • MLS Best XI: 1997
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