A football legend, of course, but so much more He was a fantastic player on the pitch but a man with great empathy. A good egg
As a player, manager and man, Kenny Dalglish has transcended the game of football. So says Stewart Sugg, director of an acclaimed documentary about the Scotland great.
“He is one of the sport’s legendary figures and has risen above the game,” said Stewart. “Some players you forget, but he’s one whose name will always be on people’s lips, even in 100 years’ time.
“Some players go on to mean something else, and that is the case with Kenny – both with Scotland for the World Cups and beating England, and the people of Liverpool, not just for being part of that great team which meant so much to the city due to how it was being treated by the Thatcher government, but he also took its people through Heysel and Hillsborough.
“He has became part of the fabric of the social history of both Scotland and Liverpool. He took on a city’s grief and people see him as a bit of a hero, although he won’t want that and
feels he did what he had to do.”
Part of the film’s focus is on the way Dalglish supported the bereaved families of the Hillsborough disaster.
“He probably wouldn’t have made it if he didn’t trust the guys behind it,” added Stewart. “They spent a long time persuading him that he needed this film to be made – he was very reluctant. He did it, slightly begrudgingly at first, but he ended up being glad he did it. He wanted to do it for his kids and grandkids so there was something for them to look back on, maybe for him as well.”
Dalglish met his wife Marina while he was a young player at Celtic and they have four children – Kelly, Paul, Lynsey and Lauren.
“He is very much a family man and family is what drives him,” said Stewart. “They kept him sane and together in all of those difficult times. Discovering that was a real revelation for me. I think finding out how close the family is, how loving they all are and the sense of humour they share, is what gave me a different outlook on who Kenny is. He has a huge sense of humour, is very compassionate and is quietly a very kind person to the people who count.
“The first time he saw the film was at its premiere with his family. Afterwards, he shook my hand and blew out his cheeks.
“I think he was quite shocked. I don’t know what he was expecting, but when you see a section of your life laid out like that, I think it would be quite overwhelming.
“He suddenly saw a new view of what he had been through.”
Former Scotland defender Gary Gillespie signed for Liverpool in 1983 and stayed at Anfield for eight years, giving him the chance to not only play alongside but be managed by his boyhood idol.
“I grew up supporting Celtic as a boy, so Kenny was one of my heroes,” explained Gary. “So to play and then be managed by him was a wonderful treat. “He was a fantastic player with wonderful vision and awareness, and a great team ethic – it was never about individual glory. He used to be portrayed as a bit dull and dour but he’s far from that – he’s a laughing, jokey sort of person, in the dressing room and as a manager. He was always up for a laugh and taking the Michael out of people. “But he had a serious side too and when it came to winning football matches he was driven, totally focused and a born winner. He achieved more or less everything he could in the game.”
Gary won several honours in that Liverpool side, but there is one moment in particular that stands out when it comes to Kenny’s career. “That first year he was in charge, there were questions being asked if you could be a player-manager of a club that size, but you just need to look at what he achieved.
“For him to score the goal that won the league against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, then win the FA Cup the following week… winning the double in his first year as manager was special and was probably the moment you realised he’s one of those people destined for greatness.”
Gary says his off-field achievements add to Kenny’s legacy: “For what he did with regards to Hillsborough, he will go down in history as a man who showed great empathy to everybody, and who pulled the club through a difficult time.
“And there’s the charity work he does with Marina and his daughter, Lauren, through the Marina Dalglish Appeal.
“He’s a good egg.”