Gordon Strachan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gordon Strachan
OBE

Strachan as manager of Celtic in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Gordon David Strachan
Date of birth	(1957-02-09) 9 February 1957 (age 68)
Place of birth	Edinburgh, Scotland
Height	5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Dundee (technical director)
Youth career
1971–1974	Dundee
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1974–1977	Dundee	69	(13)
1977–1984	Aberdeen	183	(55)
1984–1989	Manchester United	160	(33)
1989–1995	Leeds United	197	(37)
1995–1997	Coventry City	26	(0)
Total		635	(138)
National team
1979	Scotland U21	1	(0)
1980–1992	Scotland	50	(5)
Teams managed
1996–2001	Coventry City
2001–2004	Southampton
2005–2009	Celtic
2009–2010	Middlesbrough
2013–2017	Scotland
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Gordon David Strachan (born 9 February 1957) is a Scottish former football coach and player. He is currently the Technical Director for Dundee. Strachan played as a midfielder for several famous clubs. These include Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United, and Coventry City. He also played for the Scotland national team.

After his playing career, Strachan became a manager. He led teams like Coventry City, Southampton, Celtic, Middlesbrough, and the Scotland national team. He played in 635 league games, scoring 138 goals. He spent 21 out of 25 seasons in top football leagues. For Scotland, he played 50 times and scored five goals. He also played in two FIFA World Cup tournaments. Strachan stopped playing football in 1997 at age 40. This set a Premier League record for an outfield player.

Strachan won many awards during his career. He was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 1991 while at Leeds. He also won Manager of the Year awards in Scotland multiple times. In 2007, he was added to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame. He was also given an OBE award in 1993 for his contributions to football. Gordon Strachan comes from a family of footballers. His sons, Craig and Gavin Strachan, and his grandson, Luke Strachan, have all played football.

Gordon Strachan's Early Life and Playing Career

Gordon Strachan grew up in Muirhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland. As a boy, he supported Hibernian. His father was a scaffolder, and his mother worked at a whisky factory. When he was 15, he had an accident while playing football. A pen in his pocket injured his right eye. Luckily, his vision was saved.

Starting at Dundee

Strachan began his football journey at Dundee when he was 14. He chose Dundee over Manchester United. He felt he would have a better chance to play in the first team there. His talent was clear from the start. He quickly became known as a great player in the reserve team. He even won the Scottish Reserve Player of the Year Award twice.

He became a regular player in the 1975–76 season. This was the first season of the Scottish Premier Division. Dundee was relegated that season. The next year, at 19, Strachan became the youngest player to captain Dundee. However, he felt he was not a good captain. He focused too much on being tough and forgot to play his best football. He left Dundee in 1977, looking for a chance to play in the top league again.

Success with Aberdeen

In November 1977, Strachan joined Aberdeen for £50,000. His first season was tough due to injuries. But things changed when Alex Ferguson became manager in 1978. Aberdeen won the league title in 1979–80. They came back from being ten points behind Celtic. Strachan was named SFWA Footballer of the Year that season.

Gordon Strachan's 1983 European Cup Winner's Cup final shirt on display at Spartan FC's HQ at Pilton Edinburgh

The 1982–83 was amazing for Aberdeen. They won the Scottish Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup. They beat Spanish giants Real Madrid 2–1 in the final. They also won the Scottish Cup by beating Rangers 1–0. In 1983–84, Aberdeen won the league title and the Scottish Cup again. They also won the 1983 European Super Cup against Hamburger SV. Strachan was a key player in all these victories.

Moving to Manchester United

In August 1984, Strachan moved to Manchester United for £500,000. He started the 1984–85 season well, scoring four goals in seven games. He played in the 1985 FA Cup Final, where United beat Everton 1–0. His run helped Norman Whiteside score the winning goal.

He faced injuries in the 1985–86 season. This affected his team's performance. In November 1986, Alex Ferguson became the new manager. United finished 11th in 1986–87 and then second in 1987–88. Strachan's performance was not always consistent during this time.

Captain at Leeds United

In March 1989, Strachan joined Leeds United in the Second Division. He quickly became a fan favorite. He was given the captain's armband. He led the club to win the Second Division title in 1989–90.

Leeds then moved up to the First Division. Strachan, along with Gary McAllister, David Batty, and Gary Speed, formed a strong midfield. They finished fourth in 1990–91. Strachan was voted FWA Footballer of the Year for his great play. He was the first player to win this award in both Scotland and England.

Strachan signed a new contract and captained Leeds to win the league title in 1991–92. He was almost 35 years old and started having back problems. Despite this, he continued to play well. He was given an OBE award for his services to sport. Leeds struggled in the 1992–93 season. But Strachan still impressed and won the club's Player of the Year award. He scored two hat-tricks for Leeds during his time there. He left Leeds in 1995 after six years.

Player-Coach at Coventry City

In March 1995, Strachan joined Coventry City. He became assistant manager under Ron Atkinson. It was planned that Strachan would become manager in 1997. He coached the team and led training sessions. He also played 26 Premier League matches for Coventry. He finally stopped playing at age 40. In November 1996, Strachan became the full-time manager of Coventry City.

International Career with Scotland

Strachan played his first game for Scotland on 16 May 1980. He helped Scotland qualify for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He scored an important goal against Sweden in the qualifiers. At the World Cup in Spain, Scotland beat New Zealand 5–2. Strachan was named Man of the Match. Scotland then lost to Brazil and drew with the Soviet Union. They exited the tournament based on goal difference.

A commemorative plaque to Gordon Strachan at Spartan FC clubhouse in Edinburgh, and marking his gift of medals and football shirts to the club.

Scotland also qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The manager, Jock Stein, sadly passed away during the qualification period. Alex Ferguson took over for the World Cup. Scotland faced tough teams in Mexico. They lost to Denmark and West Germany. Strachan scored a memorable goal against West Germany. He tried to climb the advertising boards to celebrate, but he was too short! Scotland drew with Uruguay in their final group match.

Strachan played less for the national team under new manager Andy Roxburgh. He was not in the squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. However, he made a comeback between 1990 and 1992. He captained Scotland in qualifying for UEFA Euro 1992. He retired from international football due to back problems before the tournament. He played 50 games for Scotland and scored five goals.

Gordon Strachan's Managerial Journey

Leading Coventry City

Gordon Strachan became the player-manager of Coventry City in November 1996. He was named Premier League Manager of the Month in December. Coventry avoided relegation by just one point that season. Strachan played in the win over Chelsea at age 40. This set a record for the oldest outfield player in the Premier League at the time.

He signed several international players for Coventry. The club finished 11th in 1997–98. They also reached the FA Cup quarter-finals. Coventry finished 15th and 14th in the next two seasons. Strachan spent money on players like Robbie Keane. However, Coventry was relegated at the end of the 2000–01 season. This made him unpopular with fans. He was sacked five games into the 2001–02 season.

Taking Charge at Southampton

Within weeks, Strachan became manager of Southampton in the Premier League. Many people thought Southampton would be relegated. But Strachan turned their fortunes around. They finished 11th in the Premier League. In 2002–03, they finished eighth and reached the 2003 FA Cup Final. They lost 1–0 to Arsenal. Because Arsenal had already qualified for the Champions League, Southampton earned a spot in the UEFA Cup. Strachan resigned in February 2004, wanting a break from football.

Celtic's Success under Strachan

After a 16-month break, Strachan returned to management on 1 June 2005. He became the manager of Celtic in Scotland. His goal was to win the Scottish Premier League (SPL) title. His start was difficult, with a 5–0 loss in a European match. But Celtic soon improved under him.

Strachan ahead of Celtic's Champions League qualifier against Spartak Moscow, August 2007

In his first season, he led Celtic to win the League Cup. On 5 April 2006, his team won the SPL title very early in the season. Strachan was voted Manager of the Year. The next year, he brought in new players. Celtic played well and had a big lead in the SPL. They also reached the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 1993. On 22 April 2007, Strachan guided Celtic to their 41st league championship. They won the Scottish Cup as well.

In the 2007–08 season, Celtic reached the Champions League knockout stages again. Despite some criticism, Strachan led Celtic to win three league titles in a row. This made him only the third Celtic manager to achieve this. He resigned on 25 May 2009 after failing to win a fourth league title.

Time at Middlesbrough

Strachan signed a four-year contract with Middlesbrough in the English Championship on 26 October 2009. His first win came on 5 December, a 5–1 victory away from home. After a difficult start to the 2010–11 season, Strachan left Middlesbrough by agreement on 18 October.

Managing the Scotland National Team

Strachan was appointed manager of the Scotland national team on 15 January 2013. His first match was a 1–0 win against Estonia. Scotland's chances for the 2014 World Cup were already slim. But they improved their form, winning against Croatia and Macedonia.

In Euro 2016 qualifying, Scotland was in a tough group with Germany and Poland. Scotland had some good wins and draws. However, a loss to Georgia and a draw with Poland meant Scotland did not qualify. After failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Strachan resigned on 12 October 2017.

Strachan's Coaching Style

Gordon Strachan is known for his strict coaching style. He often used a traditional 4–4–2 formation. He would watch videos of his team's matches many times. Players like Gary Caldwell have said that Strachan's focus on lifestyle changes helped them succeed. Strachan is also known for his dry sense of humor in interviews.

Other Work and Personal Life

Strachan has worked as a football analyst for TV channels like BBC and ITV. He was an official FIFA Ambassador for Scotland in the 2006 World Cup. He helped raise money for charity. In 2009, Strachan and his two sons started their own football school. In July 2019, he became the technical director for Dundee.

Gordon Strachan married Lesley Scott in 1977. They have three children: Craig, Gavin, and Gemma. As mentioned, his sons and grandson Luke have also played football.

Career Statistics

Club

International

International goals

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Strachan goal.

List of international goals scored by Gordon Strachan

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	10 September 1980	Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden	6	Sweden	1–0	1–0	1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	12 June 1983	Empire Stadium, Vancouver, Canada	22	Canada	1–0	2–0	Friendly
3	26 March 1986	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	34	Romania	1–0	3–0	Friendly
4	8 June 1986	Estadio La Corregidora, Queretaro, Mexico	36	West Germany	1–0	1–2	1986 FIFA World Cup
5	1 May 1991	Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino	46	San Marino	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying

Managerial record

(competitive club matches and all international matches)

Honours and Awards

Gordon Strachan received many awards as both a player and a manager.

As a Player

Aberdeen

• Scottish Premier Division: 1979–80, 1983–84
• Scottish Cup: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84
• Drybrough Cup: 1980–81
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1982–83
• European Super Cup: 1983

Manchester United

• FA Cup: 1984–85

Leeds United

• Football League First Division: 1991–92
• Football League Second Division: 1989–90
• FA Charity Shield: 1992

Scotland

• The Rous Cup: 1985

Individual Awards

• SFWA Footballer of the Year: 1979–80
• Ballon d'Or: 1983 (4th place)
• PFA Team of the Year Second Division: 1989–90
• PFA Team of the Year First Division: 1990–91
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 1990–91
• Scottish FA International Roll of Honour: 1992
• Leeds United Player of the Year: 1993
• PFA Merit Award: 1995
• English Football Hall of Fame inductee: 2016

As a Manager

Celtic

• Scottish Premier League: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
• Scottish Cup: 2006–07
• Scottish League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09

Individual Manager Awards

• Premier League Manager of the Month: December 1996, February 1998, January 2002, December 2002
• SPFA Manager of the Year: 2005–06
• SFWA Manager of the Year: 2005–06, 2006–07
• PFA Scotland Manager of the Year: 2006–07, 2008–09

See also

In Spanish: Gordon Strachan para niños

• List of Scotland national football team captains
• List of Scottish football families