DUNCAN SHEARER

Duncan Shearer

Ossie, Jari and Glenn all played a part

A PROLIFIC goalscorer for Aberdeen in the 1990s – and a full Scotland internationalist – who numbers Chelsea and Swindon among his former clubs, DUNCAN SHEARER is now coach of Inverness Caley Thistle Under-20s. Here he tells DANNY STEWART about some of his adventures from what was a lively playing career.

BEST MANAGER YOU PLAYED FOR?

OSSIE ARDILES was a brilliant boss for me at Swindon Town.

BEST PLAYER YOU PLAYED WITH?

I HAD one of Ossie’s successors, Glenn Hoddle, for a team-mate, as well as a manager, for a season and he was different class.

BEST PLAYER PLAYED AGAINST?

JARI LITMANEN, 21 years a Finland internationalist, was a terrific footballer who really impressed me when I was up against him in . my Scotland debut. TURNING POINT IN YOUR CAREER?

WAKING up hung-over one morning in Huddersfield in the late 1980s and deciding I’d had enough. I proposed to Michele, she came down to live with me as my wife and I started really concentrating on my football.

BEST GOAL YOU SCORED?

A 35-YARD half-volley for Swindon against West Brom in the Rumbelows Cup back in 1991. Check it out on YouTube.

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

WINNING seven Scotland caps at the tail end of my career when I thought the chance had passed me by.

MOST MEMORABLE GAME?

SWINDON TOWN beating Sunderland in front of 72,000 at Wembley in the 1990 League Two Play-off Final. It won us promotion to the old First Division but the club subsequently got done for breaching league rules and were relegated to the Third.

BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR CAREER?

OSSIE and Glenn both helped me a lot. But I will go for Willie Miller, at Aberdeen, who was very knowledgeable.

BEST STORY ABOUT A TEAM-MATE?

DEAN WINDASS used to get called Bungee at Aberdeen by Billy Dodds, who claimed he’d done a bungee jump with a cord which was too long and landed on his face.

SECRET ABOUT YOU?

I SWAPPED one of my Scotland caps for a Camanachd Cup winners’ medal. As a kid, it was my dream to win one and my pal, Eck Sutherland, a shinty star with Kingussie in the 1990s, fancied the exchange.