Gordon Strachan has left an indelible mark as one of the greatest Scottish football giants in history, being quick-witted, unpredictable, agile, and incredibly gifted. His career began as a right midfielder with Aberdeen, Dundee, Leeds United, Coventry City, and eventually the Scotland National Team. Numerous honors and distinctions have been bestowed upon him. He played 635 league games in his lengthy and distinguished career, scoring 138 goals in all, including two at the FIFA World Cup, and earning 50 caps. He became the full-time manager of Coventry City after retiring from football at the age of 40, and took the team to FA Cup Finals in a number of seasons. He then became the Scottish Premier League’s full-time manager and was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame. He is the father of players Craig and Gavin Strachan, both of whom are well-known. He is a regular analyst for ITV’s FA Cup coverage and is active in other charitable causes in addition to his role as team manager.
Childhood and Adolescence
Jim and Catherine Strachan raised George David Strachan at Muirhouse, Edinburgh. At the age of 14, he began playing for Dundee. The next year, a pen in his pocket unintentionally pierced his eye during a football game on the school playground, and he lost vision in his right eye. Eddie Turnbull offered him a contract to play for a team before he began professionally playing football, but his father objected, claiming that the club did not pay enough expenditures.
Career of Gordon Strachan
In a friendly match with Arsenal at the age of 18, he outplayed Alan Ball. His impressive performance earned him a spot as a regular player for the 1975-1976 season, which also happened to be the Scottish Premier Division’s debut season. For the 1976-1977 First Division season, he was named captain, but following a drinking incident with Jimmy Johnstone, he was relieved of his duties.
In 1977, he left Dundee and signed a deal with Aberdeen. His 1977-78 season was marred by poor form and injury. He was, nevertheless, picked for the 1979 League Cup, when the squad won both games at Celtic Park. He was named SFWA Footballer of the Year for his outstanding performance on the field.
He received his first cap against Northern Island in the British Home Championship in 1980. He was vital in securing his home side to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 1982 two years later. The 1982-1983 seasons were the club’s most successful, and he made his mark by scoring four goals in a 5-1 League Cup triumph against Dundee. The European Cup Winners’ Cup was then won by his squad. They also won the European Super Cup Final in 1983, defeating Hamburg.
He scored four goals in seven games during the 1984-1985 season, and despite missing the 1985 FA Cup Final at Wembley, the squad went on to win the first 10 league games of the 1985-1986 season. He led the Leeds United Club to the Second Division title in 1989-1990 after accepting a contract from Ron Atkinson. They finished fourth overall, but advanced to the League Cup semi-finals.
He signed a two-year deal with Leeds United and led them to the league title in 1991-1992. However, owing to bad health and back issues, he began missing a number of games and was unable to continue Leeds United’s success.
Despite his setbacks and difficult seasons, he scored a hat-trick against Blackburn Rovers on April 10, 1993, and subsequently moved to Coventry City to work as an assistant manager under Ron Atkinson.
He also featured in the seasons 1994-1995 and 1995-1996 as a coach and trainer for the squad. Due to the club’s struggles at the start of the 1996-1997 season, Atkinson was requested to leave his role as manager. Strachan’s first season as manager resulted in his club reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals in 1997-1998.
He took over as manager of Premier League Southampton in 2001, succeeding Stuart Gray. The Southampton team qualified for the UEFA Cup under his leadership. On June 1, 2005, he returned to manage Celtic after a lengthy absence. Despite a difficult start as a manager, the squad soon began to perform well under his leadership and began to win competitions.
He was appointed manager of Middlesbrough on October 26, 2009. During the 2010-2011 season, however, he willingly resigned down as manager after a string of losses. On January 15, 2013, he was named manager of the Scotland National Football Team.
Achievements & Awards
For the 1979-1980 season, he was named SFWA Footballer of the Year. In 1993, he was selected ‘Player of the Year’ by Leeds United A.F.C. For the years 1996, 1998, and 2002, he was named Premier League Manager of the Month. For the seasons 2005-2006 and 2008-2009, he received the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year award.
Personal History and Legacy
Craig, Gavin, and Gemma are his three children from his 1977 marriage to Lesley Scott. Both of his kids are well-known football players.
Estimated Net Worth
Gordon Strachan is one of the wealthiest soccer coaches and one of the most well-known. Gordon Strachan’s net worth is estimated to be $11 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
Scotland was led five times by this well-known former footballer and coach. He was named manager of the Scotland National Football Team on January 15, 2013.