DAY EIGHT: GREATEST

Ralph Milne Club

Dundee United (1976 to 1987)

One (1983).

Titles

THERE are several players who are strong contenders for the dubious honour of being the best player never to represent Scotland. John McGovern of Nottingham Forest and Andy Ritchie of Morton are two. Ralph Milne of Dundee United is most definitely another. How he was overlooked by his country remains a mystery.

Milne (below) excelled for the great Tannadice team of the 1980s domestically and was one of their outstanding performers when they won the Premier Division in the 1982/83 season. He scored 15 goals for them from out wide in the league that term. His chipped opener in their vital final game against Dundee at Dens Park was a thing of beauty and quite remarkable in the circumstances.

In Europe he was sensational. He netted four times during United’s run to the European Cup semifinals the following term. That was more than Kenny Dalglish, whose Liverpool team triumphed, managed. In total, Milne was on target on 15 occasions in continental competition. That is a club record which will probably never be beaten.

Alas, Milne was a troubled genius. He drank to excess and gambled and his relationship with his manager Jim McLean was fractious. He moved on to Charlton Athletic in 1987 and later played for Bristol City, Manchester United and Sing Tao in Hong Kong. He retired from the game at 32 in 1993.

He passed away from complications caused by liver problems aged just 54 in 2015. His career was a case of “what might have been”. But he certainly enjoyed his share of success and was, at his very best, simply brilliant.