The best Scottish defenders ever include some of the nation’s all-time standout players, those who have shone for club and country alike.
Right-backs, centre-backs and left-backs all get a look-in here, as we pick out Scotland’s top talent at the back.
Stars of Celtic, Rangers and beyond are represented on our list of Scottish defensive greats…
Christian Dailly
A centre-back who captained Scotland 12 times and went to the 1998 World Cup, Christian Dailly won the Scottish Cup with hometown club Dundee United and later Rangers.
However, he spent the majority of his career south of the border, playing in the Premier League for Derby, Blackburn and West Ham, helping the latter to the 2006 FA Cup final.
David Weir
Capped 69 times between 1997 and 2010, David Weir was one of Scotland’s go-to centre-halves for many years.
The Falkirk-born defender started out at his local club and went on to play for Hearts and Rangers – lifting the Scottish Cup with both – either side of an eight-year spell with Everton, for whom he made over 200 Premier League appearances.
George Young
A centre-back also capable of operating at right-back, George Young was the first player to win 50 caps for Scotland, representing his country 53 times in total – 48 of them as skipper.
Part of six title-winning sides at Rangers during the 1940s and 1950s, Young scored two penalties in the Gers’ treble-sealing Scottish Cup final victory over Clyde in 1949.
David Narey
Dundee native David Narey spent almost his entire career with Dundee United, amassing a club-record 872 appearances between 1974 and 1993.
A central defender who could also line up in midfield, the 35-cap Scotland international starred in Dundee United’s memorable runs to the 1983/84 European Cup semi-finals and 1987 UEFA Cup final.
Richard Gough
Born in Stockholm to a Swedish mother and Scottish father, Richard Gough was a robust presence at the heart of defence for club and country, helping Rangers to an incredible nine straight league titles from 1989 to 1997, eight of them as captain.
Previously a Scottish champion with Dundee United, Gough also wore the armband for Tottenham in the 1987 FA Cup final and played at three major international tournaments.
Colin Hendry
Scotland’s captain at the 1998 World Cup, Colin Hendry’s fearsome centre-half play helped bring out the best in those around him.
A top-flight champion north and south of the border with Rangers in 1999 and Blackburn in 1995 respectively, Hendry made two PFA Premier League Teams of the Year while starring for the latter.
Gordon McQueen
A goalkeeper as a kid, Gordon McQueen switched to centre-back and went on to make quite a name for himself with Leeds and Manchester United, helping the former to the 1973/74 First Division title and 1974/75 European Cup final – and the latter to FA Cup glory in 1983.
Renowned for his exceptional aerial ability, McQueen formed a formidable partnership with the great Norman Hunter at Leeds.
Alex McLeish
Later manager of Rangers and Scotland, among others, Alex McLeish excelled as a central defender in his playing days, most notably for Alex Ferguson’s highly successful Aberdeen team.
Three Scottish titles and the 1982/83 Cup Winners’ Cup were among the honours claimed with the Dons by McLeish, who featured at the 1982, 1986 and 1990 World Cups.
Billy McNeill
Captain of Celtic’s legendary ‘Lisbon Lions’, the first British side to win the European Cup in 1967, Billy McNeill was a giant of a central defender and a natural leader.
Capped 29 times by Scotland, he spent nearly his whole playing career at Celtic, featuring close to 800 times, before two stints as manager.
Tommy Gemmell
Naturally right-footed but one of the world’s best left-backs in his prime, Tommy Gemmell starred alongside Billy McNeill in Celtic’s European Cup-winning team – who actually did the quadruple that season.
Gemmell, who also had a spell in England with Nottingham Forest, was highly regarded for his overlapping runs, tackling ability and powerful shooting.
Sandy Jardine
Born William but known as Sandy due to his hair colour, Sandy Jardine racked up more than 1,000 appearances for club and country, cementing legendary status at Rangers before starring for Hearts.
A league champion, Scottish Cup and League Cup, and Cup Winners’ Cup winner with the Gers, Jardine was a superbly well-rounded right-back who twice won the SFWA (Scottish Football Writers’ Association) Footballer of the Year award, in 1975 and 1986.
Willie Miller
Partner to Alex McLeish at the heart of the back four in Alex Ferguson’s silverware-sweeping Aberdeen side of the 80s, Willie Miller was described by his boss as “the best penalty box defender in the world”.
Voted Aberdeen’s greatest-ever player in 2003, Miller – who played at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups – did the double of PFA Scotland Players’ Player of the Year and SFWA Footballer of the Year in 1984.
Andy Robertson
Having started out with legendary Glasgow amateur outfit Queen’s Park, Andy Robertson progressed to become one of the finest left-backs in world football, playing a key role as Liverpool claimed all of the biggest trophies under Jurgen Klopp.
A member of back-to-back PFA Premier League Teams of the Year in 2019 and 2020, the feisty and energetic pinpoint crosser captained Scotland at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
John Greig
Voted the best Rangers player of all time in 1999, John Greig was a wonderfully authoritative defender with fantastic leadership qualities.
Primarily a centre-half but able to play across the back line, Greig captained the Gers to 1971/72 Cup Winners’ Cup glory, among other triumphs, and wore the armband for his nation on 15 occasions.
Danny McGrain
Legendary Scottish sports journalist Hugh McIlvanney remarked that Danny McGrain was “a great player, probably one who had no superior anywhere in the world” – so imperious was the Celtic great at right-back.
Spending the best part of two decades at Celtic Park, winning each of the three major domestic honours multiple times, the 62-cap Scotland international was similarly world-class when deployed at left-back.
Alan Hansen
When Alan Hansen lambasted “diabolical” defending in his role as a pundit on Match of the Day, you sat up and took notice – he was better placed than most to unleash such scathing criticism.
A phenomenal reader of the game at centre-back, Hansen possessed top-quality ball-playing ability and was absolutely integral to Liverpool’s sustained success during the late 70s and the 80s, winning three European Cups and numerous domestic honours.
Part of the Scotland team at the 1982 World Cup, the former Partick Thistle man was named in six PFA First Division Teams of the Year between 1982 and 1990.
