True giant of Scottish football
WALTER Smith was a titan of Scottish football, who won 21 trophies for Rangers in two separate spells and was loved and respected by players and fans across club divisions.
A working-class Glaswegian, he revitalised the Scotland national team during his two-year tenure and moved them 70 places up Fifa’s world rankings.
The Ibrox boss led his club to seven consecutive Scottish league titles in the 1990s before a return from 2007 to 2011 saw him add three more and a Uefa Cup final, making him their second most successful manager after Bill Struth.
Smith also managed Everton between 1998 and 2002, and he enjoyed a brief stint as assistant manager to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
Despite a tough demeanour, he could be a kindly father figure with a dry wit. He provided the discipline and support to guide Paul Gascoigne back into form at Rangers in time for his brilliant displays for England at Euro 96.
Smith was born in Lanark, South Lanarkshire, and raised in Glasgow.
When he was five his grandfather took him to his first Rangers game. In 1971 he narrowly escaped the Ibrox crush that claimed 66 lives.
While training as an electrician he played amateur football for Ashfield. Dundee United signed him as a defender in 1966.After two years at Dumbarton FC he returned to the Tangerines.
Manager Jim McLean suggested he would be better suited to coaching and he made his transi tion when injury threatened to end his playing career at the age of 29.
Smith rose to assistant manager, helping them to their only Premier Division title in 1983, and the semi-final of the European Cup the following year. He retired in 2011.
He died of cancer. He is survived by wife Ethel and their two sons.