John Greig
Statue of John Greig at Ibrox Stadium, part of the memorial to the Ibrox Disaster in 1971
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Greig | ||
| Date of birth | 11 September 1942 | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1961–1978 | Rangers | 498 | (87) |
| National team | |||
| 1964–1975 | Scotland | 44 | (3) |
| 1963–1970 | Scottish League XI | 13 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1978–1983 | Rangers | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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John Greig MBE (born 11 September 1942 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a defender; he spent his entire career with Rangers, as a player, manager and director. Greig was voted "The Greatest Ever Ranger" in 1999 by the club's supporters and has been elected to Rangers' Hall of Fame.
Greig played his youth football with United Crossroads in Edinburgh, under the supervision of Eric Gardner, and supported Hearts as a boy. It is unknown if Hearts showed any interest in signing him. Bob McAuley signed Greig for Rangers and despite his initial reluctance Greig did as instructed by his father. However, after viewing a match between Rangers and Hibernian at Easter Road, where he witnessed them beating Hibs 6-1, he convinced the move was right.
A determined, forceful player, recognised for his great leadership qualities, Greig made 755 official appearances for Rangers (498 in the domestic league, 72 in the Scottish Cup, a club record 121 in the League Cup and 64 in European tournaments). He scored 120 goals for the club and won three domestic trebles. Greig actually started his career with Rangers as a forward, prior to being moved back to midfield – playing initially alongside another Rangers legend in Jim Baxter – and finally to left back. It was therefore in those initial years that he scored the majority of his goals for the club.
Greig was captain when Rangers won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1972 beating Dynamo Moscow 3–2 in Barcelona. Although Greig's was an enormously successful playing career, his captaincy coincided with a period of sustained success for Rangers' city rivals, Celtic, from the late 1960s until the mid-1970s. Greig's fortitude during that period further cemented his reputation as one of Rangers' most celebrated captains.
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