Greatest Scottish Footballers Of All Time – 10 Best Ever
3. Jimmy Johnstone
Jimmy Johnstone was a player who could break a heart as well as make it soar. His footballing genius was encapsulated in his mission to entertain.
‘Jinky’ was a Celtic legend and enjoyed plenty of success in the dark blue too, with 4 goals in 23 appearances. One of only a handful of Scottish players to make top 3 in the Ballon D’Or shortlist – he came third in 1967, above Franz Beckenbauer and Eusebio.
He was part of the Celtic team that won the European Cup in 1966, making over 350 appearances for the bhoys and scoring 82 goals from the right wing.
2. Denis Law
Scotland’s most clinical striker, Denis Law, is arguably the best ever player from North of the Border.
Whilst Law and Dalglish share the same amount of goals for Scotland, the former Manchester United man achieved the record in almost half the appearances. Law’s best ever moment in a Scotland jersey, was at Wembley, where he scored the winning goal over World Cup champions England in 1967, ultimately writing his name in Scottish football folklore.
He is the third highest scorer of all-time at Old Trafford, where he won the league and the European Cup, as well as becoming the only Scot to ever win the Ballon d’Or in 1964.
1. Kenny Dalglish
Sharing first place in the Scotland scoring stakes with Denis Law, ‘King Kenny’ was one of the finest players ever produced by Scotland. He represented his country at three World Cup finals.
A notable highlight for Dalglish was scoring a winning goal against England at Hampden Park in the 1970’s, running through on goal and toe poking the ball through Ray Clemence’s legs into the back of the net.
He won nine trophies in Glasgow, but was even more impressive on Merseyside, winning 22, including six First Division titles and three European Cups. Dalglish won 102 caps for Scotland and is the nations joint top goal scorer.
He could have played anywhere in the team. He was not an out-and-out striker because he had so much else to his game. Put simply, he was best as a goal-maker and that is a great thing to say about someone who scored so many great goals.