Alex was a Scotland skipper that United couldn’t tempt
The young players trying to make their way at Rangers can’t help but be inspired by the club’s success in reaching the Europa League Final.
Maybe one day they’ll be team-mates of men who achieved success in Seville.
It’s 50 years since the Light Blues won the European Cup-winners’ Cup, and future Rangers player, Alex O’hara, was lifting silverware just 10 days before they triumphed in Barcelona.
The midfielder captained the Scotland Schoolboys’ side as they drew 1-1 with England at Ibrox to win the Victory Shield.
He led a team where most of the young players were earmarked to join Scottish teams after many years when most rising stars were destined to head for England.
Alex recalls that he had already agreed to join Rangers and how even one of the world’s biggest clubs couldn’t change his mind.
He said: “A representative of Manchester United came to my house, and tried to persuade me to join them.
“But I had Rangers on the brain. There was no way I was going to sign for anyone else.
“It could have been Manchester United or Real Madrid at the door, and I would still have been going to Ibrox.
“Fifty years ago, schools football was a much bigger thing than it is now.
“Captaining my country was a really exciting experience.
“I think I did well because I developed early in life, and was bigger than most of the other lads.
“I was a bit like Manchester City’s new signing, Erling Haaland, compared to my class-mates!
“Most people eventually caught up with me, and by 17 I was a similar size to everyone else.”
One player from the young England side of 1972 sticks in Alex’s memory.
He went on: “Ray Wilkins was in their team, and I can remember thinking that he was something special.
“Gordon Strachan came on as a substitute for us during the game. He had bags of personality, and a wicked sense of humour.
“He always had something to say, and I guess he’s never changed.
“I remember marvelling at his Edinburgh accent. Kids didn’t get to travel too far back then, and it sounded very different to me.”
Just over a year later, Alex was making his competitive debut for Rangers at the age of 16.
He said: “I’d watched the victory in the Cupwinners’ Cup final on television, and here I was sharing a dressing room with my heroes. I had to pinch myself.
“I scored in my first game, a 5-1 win over Falkirk in August, 1973.
“Just over a week earlier, I’d come on as a substitute against Arsenal in the Centenary game at Ibrox.
“At half-time, I took part in a penalty shootout with Jim Baxter and Willie Woodburn.
“I took the bus to Ibrox that night! It didn’t bother me, I just wanted to play football.”
Although Alex played nearly 50 competitive matches over a four-year spell with Rangers, he admits he might have done better.
He said: “I maybe got too much, too soon and it went wrong as quickly as it had gone right.
“I was reading in the newspapers how great I was, and thinking: ‘Is this me?’.
“My father had passed away when I was young, and had been my guiding light. I didn’t have anyone to keep me on the right path.”
But it was far from the end of Alex’s career when he left Rangers. He had lengthy spells at Partick Thistle and Morton, then a single season with Hamilton Accies, before leaving the professional game in 1991.
He said: “Bertie Auld signed me for Partick Thistle, and I had a great time there.
“I was taken aback when I was told I was to be inducted into the Thistle Hall of Fame a few years ago. It was a great honour.”
Now 65, Alex is retired from a customer service job, and was still playing football until a knee injury intervened a couple of years ago.