15 Reasons for the Premier League to Love Scotland

Scotland has left an unmistakable mark on English football.

Image via Wikipedia

Scotland has left an unmistakable mark on English football.

As the campaign for Scottish Independence draws to a close, the rest of Britain is left to remember the contributions that Scottish people have made to a United Kingdom.

Including a mix of hardmen, managers and record breakers, here are 15 reasons for the Premier League to love Scotland.

 

1. Graeme Souness

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Associated with: Liverpool, Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle

Famous for: Rubbish management and facial hair.

Graeme Souness is a football personality that's loved and loathed in equal measure.

After a stunning career with Liverpool as a player, Souness has a mixed track record as manager in the Premier League. He led Blackburn to the League Cup in 2002 but took Newcastle United from 5th to 14th in just one season.

That facial hair, though…

2. Neil Sullivan

3. David Moyes

4. John Collins

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Associated with: Everton and Fulham

Famous for: Being one of Scotland's greatest.

John Collins is one of the greatest Scotland players of the modern era. After enjoying a successful spell in France with AS Monaco – where he won Ligue 1 – he scored his country's first goal of the 1998 World Cup against Brazil.

In England, Collins had a mixed spell at Everton but found success at Fulham, helping the Londoners to secure promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 2001.

5. Duncan Ferguson

6. Alan Hansen

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Associated with: Match of the Day

Famous for: Being the Godfather of modern punditry.

Shocking. Abysmal. Diabolical.

Hansen's cut-throat criticisms reinvented the art of punditry and his retirement after the 2014 World Cup was the end of an era for British television. Danny Murphy replaced him on the Match of the Day sofa.

Sigh.

7. Tony Blair

8. James McCarthy

9. Stuart McCall

10. Kenny Dalglish

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Associated with: Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool

Famous for: Being the other Scottish manager to have won the Premier League.

Sir Alex Ferguson isn't the only Scottish manager to have found success in the Premier League.

After winning three First Division titles with Liverpool in the late 80s and early 90s, Dalglish led Blackburn to their first – and what looks like it'll be the only – Premier League title in the club's history.

Just don't remind Dalglish about his spell at Newcastle. Or his defence of Luis Suarez in light of allegations of racism.

11. Gordon Strachan

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Associated with: Coventry and Southampton

Famous for: Putting down journalists.

The most Scottish-looking man in the history of English football has a temper that's as a fiery as his hair.

Strachan was one of the only managers with attitude at a time when newly-famous faces were doing their best to put on a show for the cameras. We want more Strachans.

12. Colin Hendry

13. Sir Alex Ferguson

14. Gary McAllister

15. Henrik Larsson

Associated with: Manchester United

Famous for: Being Scotland's greatest export.

Okay, so he's only an adopted Scotsman…but that still counts.

Larsson scored 174 league goals in just 221 games for Celtic and came south of the border for a two-month loan spell at Manchester United, while he was at Swedish side Helsingborgs IF. Ever the class act, Larsson impressed to such an extent during his 13 game spell that Sir Alex Ferguson said he'd have done “anything to keep hold of him”.

Has there ever been a better player with such a strong association to Scottish football?

Latest in Sports