Knox tells of men who played key part in his remarkable career

Gratitude: Archie Knox says Sam Smith and Jim McLean helped him on his way

Archie Knox has revealed that he has former Forfar chairman Sam Smith and the legendary Jim McLean to thank for his remarkable career in football.

Former United midfielder Knox was assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson in the Aberdeen glory days of the 1980s and then in the early spell of his astonishing reign at Old Trafford before joining Walter Smith for the nine-in-a-row period at Rangers.

He owes it all to Smith and McLean that he worked for these three clubs at the best periods in their history.

Knox, who bossed Dundee between 1983 and 1986, said: “You need luck.

“My first job was at Forfar where Sam Smith was the chairman, and if he hadn’t been there I would never have survived in football.

“His influence was phenomenal. He kept me going, no question.

“Then I was lucky enough to get a job like Aberdeen in 1980, and I think Jim McLean had a huge influence on that.

“When Pat Stanton left and Alex was looking for something else, Alex and Jim were quite close, and I knew Jim from playing at Dundee United.

“It’s a case of being in the right place at the right time.

“There’s hundreds of people like me that just never got that opportunity, and I’ll be eternally grateful for getting that opportunity.

“I was a joiner to trade, I worked as a building estimator and a surveyor, so I would probably have been kicking on with that.”

The 70-year-old, who was launching his autobiography The School of Hard Knox, has been involved in many huge occasions.

He said: “I’ve had hundreds of them. The ones that stick out obviously are the Cup Winners’ Cup with Aberdeen, the FA Cup with Manchester United, winning nine in a row with Rangers, although I was only there for seven.

“And I was in charge at Dens when Hearts lost the league on goal difference in 1986.

“What people don’t realise is that Dundee were trying to get into Europe.

“Rangers were playing Motherwell and if they had drawn or lost we would have been in the Uefa Cup.

“I got a couple of offers but after Dundee I never bothered with it.

“I enjoyed working as an assistant with young players in the afternoons and evenings, so I cannot have one regret in my football career.”

My first job was at Forfar where Sam Smith was the chairman, and if he hadn’t been there I would never have survived in football. ARCHIE KNOX

Picture: SNS. Archie Knox has no regrets about his career in football.