Gordon David Strachan is a Scottish former football coach and player.
59 Facts About Gordon Strachan
2.
Gordon Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team.
3.
Gordon Strachan has since managed Coventry City, Southampton, Celtic, Middlesbrough and Scotland.
4.
In club football, Strachan played 635 league games, scoring a total of 138 goals, playing 21 of 25 career seasons in either the English or Scottish top-flight.
5.
In international football Gordon Strachan earned 50 caps, scoring five goals and played in two FIFA World Cup final tournaments, Spain 82 and Mexico 86.
6.
Gordon Strachan retired from playing in 1997 at age 40, setting a Premier League record for an outfield player.
7.
Gordon Strachan first played for the Scotland national team in 1980.
8.
Gordon Strachan played his last game for Scotland in 1992.
9.
Gordon Strachan moved to Coventry in 1995 for a final three seasons, as a player-coach.
10.
Gordon Strachan became full-time manager of Coventry when the incumbent Ron Atkinson was appointed as director of football.
11.
Gordon Strachan resigned from Southampton in 2004 and took a 16-month break from management.
12.
Gordon Strachan returned to Scotland to become manager of Celtic, where he achieved three successive league titles and other domestic cup wins.
13.
Gordon Strachan left Celtic in May 2009 after failing to win a fourth title.
14.
Gordon Strachan then became manager of Middlesbrough in the English Championship, but left the club after an unsuccessful 12 months in the job.
15.
Gordon Strachan then managed the Scotland national team for five years, but was unable to secure qualification for a major tournament.
16.
Gordon Strachan was named Manager of the Year in Scotland several times by writers and players while at Celtic.
17.
In 2007, Gordon Strachan was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.
18.
Gordon Strachan is the father of Craig Strachan and Gavin Strachan and the grandfather of Luke Strachan, all of whom were footballers.
19.
Gordon Strachan was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1993 New Year Honours for services to association football.
20.
Gordon Strachan was offered a contract by Hibernian manager Eddie Turnbull, but his father decided against the offer after stating the club did not pay sufficient expenses for footwear.
21.
Gordon Strachan began his career with Dundee, having decided to sign with the Scottish club at age 14.
22.
Gordon Strachan made his mark as an 18-year-old when he outplayed Alan Ball in a friendly with Arsenal in August 1975; The Sunday Post compared him to a young Billy Bremner.
23.
Gordon Strachan was not picked for the 1978 Scottish Cup Final defeat to Rangers.
24.
Gordon Strachan played at Hampden Park in the 1979 League Cup defeat to Rangers, and set up Duncan Davidson for the game's opening goal.
25.
Gordon Strachan missed the second half of the season with a muscle tear in his stomach.
26.
However, because Gordon Strachan had previously signed a pre-contract agreement with Bundesliga side 1.
27.
Gordon Strachan quickly became a popular figure at Elland Road, earning comparisons to former favourites Bobby Collins and Johnny Giles.
28.
Gordon Strachan was voted FWA Footballer of the Year for his performances during the campaign, becoming the first player to win the award both in Scotland and in England.
29.
However, Gordon Strachan was beginning to feel the effects of his sciatica and missed a number of matches due to his bad back.
30.
Gordon Strachan continued to impress though, and was given the club's Player of the Year award.
31.
Gordon Strachan scored a hat-trick against Blackburn Rovers on 10 April 1993.
32.
In March 1995, Gordon Strachan moved to Coventry City to work as assistant manager under new manager Ron Atkinson, the man who had brought him south of the border to Manchester United 11 years earlier.
33.
Gordon Strachan coached the team and led training sessions while learning the finer points of management from Atkinson.
34.
Gordon Strachan took to the field at Highfield Road, playing 26 Premier League matches for the Sky Blues over the next two years before finally hanging up his boots in his 40th year.
35.
Gordon Strachan won his first cap for Scotland on 16 May 1980, in a British Home Championship defeat to Northern Ireland at Windsor Park.
36.
Gordon Strachan helped Scotland qualify for the 1982 FIFA World Cup and scored a crucial goal in qualifying by scoring the only goal against Sweden at the Rasunda Stadium in Stockholm.
37.
Gordon Strachan did not feature in the 1982 British Home Championship, as Jock Stein wanted to rest him for the World Cup, held in Spain.
38.
Gordon Strachan played in the first leg at Hampden Park, but did not travel to Melbourne for the second leg.
39.
Gordon Strachan fell out of the first team picture under Andy Roxburgh, and was omitted from the squad for the 1990 World Cup.
40.
Gordon Strachan won 50 full caps, and scored five international goals.
41.
When Ron Atkinson became Coventry City's director of football in November 1996, Gordon Strachan was promoted to the manager's seat.
42.
Gordon Strachan played in the win over Chelsea at Highfield Road at age 40, in what was at the time a record age for an outfield player in the Premier League.
43.
Gordon Strachan was again named Manager of the Month in February 1998.
44.
Gordon Strachan returned to management within weeks, taking the manager's job at Premier League Southampton, who had sacked manager Stuart Gray after a terrible start to their first season at the new St Mary's Stadium.
45.
In February 2004, Gordon Strachan announced his resignation as Southampton manager after his decision not to stay on at the club in the summer was leaked to the press.
46.
Gordon Strachan wanted to take a break from football, but was forced to resign earlier than initially intended due to the speculation surrounding his and the club's future following the leak.
47.
On 22 April 2007, Gordon Strachan guided Celtic to their 41st league championship, and second in succession.
48.
Later that day, Gordon Strachan was recognised as the inaugural PFA Scotland Manager of the Year for 2007.
49.
However, after defeating Rangers twice at home, on 22 May 2008 Gordon Strachan became only the third ever Celtic manager to guide the club to three consecutive Scottish league titles.
50.
Gordon Strachan signed a four-year contract with English Championship team Middlesbrough on 26 October 2009, succeeding Gareth Southgate.
51.
Gordon Strachan had been linked with the Middlesbrough manager's job 15 years earlier, when still a Leeds United player.
52.
Gordon Strachan voluntarily ended his contract and left without compensation.
53.
Gordon Strachan was appointed manager of the Scotland national team on 15 January 2013, succeeding Craig Levein.
54.
The rivalry dates from Gordon Strachan's time playing under Ferguson, first at Aberdeen and later Manchester United.
55.
Gordon Strachan has analysed football matches for the media, including alongside Adrian Chiles on BBC Sport's Match of the Day 2.
56.
Gordon Strachan has worked as a regular pundit for ITV's coverage of the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
57.
In July 2019, Gordon Strachan was appointed to a technical director position with Dundee.
58.
Gordon Strachan married Lesley Scott in 1977; George Mackie was his best man.
59.
Strachan's grandson, Luke, is a footballer and came through the youth setup with Dundee whilst Gordon was technical director at the club.