‘I had it in my contract when I joined Barcelona from Spurs that I’d wear the No.8 shirt – Bernd Schuster said no, so I took Diego Maradona’s No.10 instead’: Scotland hero recalls replacing Argentinian legend at Barca in 1984

Replacing Diego Maradona is a daunting task for just about anybody, but Scotland hero Steve Archibald took the challenge in his stride when he swapped Tottenham for Barcelona in 1984.

After a stunning 1983/84, in which he bagged 21 First Division goals, Archibald naturally caught the attention of some of Europe's best clubs. The opportunity to play for Barcelona proved difficult to turn down, however, with the then 27-year-old completing a £1.15m transfer.

Becoming just the second Scotsman to play in La Liga, with John Fox Watson the first to do so when turning out for Real Madrid in the 1940s, Archibald recalls the expectations placed on the club when he joined - though having Terry Venables as manager certainly helped with his confidence.

Diego Maradona's No.10 shirt was handed to Archibald

"The club was similar to Tottenham at the time, in that they hadn’t won the league title in over a decade," Archibald tells FourFourTwo. "Cup success didn’t matter; they wanted to win the league. They explained that before I went there.

"Myself and Bernd Schuster were the two allocated foreigners, so Terry had picked me from all of the foreign players in the world, which gave me such confidence. He bet his job on me, as Barcelona didn’t suffer fools. I never felt intimidated, but I saw the lack of a winning mentality.

"I knew Bernd’s passing ability was equal or better than Glenn Hoddle’s and I knew I’d get the service. I scored immediately: my first goal was against Real Madrid on my debut and we won 3-0. There was a big doubt hanging over me until that point. I wasn’t accepted right away, but that game solved everybody’s problems."

Archibald immediately had pressure placed upon him when he arrived at Barcelona for another reason, too, with the No.10 shirt handed to him for the 1984/85 season. The previous wearer of that number? Diego Maradona, who had just departed for Napoli.

"I had it in my contract when I signed for Barcelona that I’d wear the No.8 jersey. That was Bernd Schuster’s shirt, though," Archibald adds. "I felt that eight was lucky for me and I wouldn’t score otherwise. I said it was in my contract that I could wear it, but Bernd said he didn’t care.

"Venables was watching all of this unfold and asked me if I wanted him to talk to Bernd. I said, 'No, just let him have No.8.' Terry would have backed me no matter how much it would have pissed Bernd off, so I took Maradona’s No.10 shirt instead to keep the peace."

That decision didn't come back to bite him, with the forward scoring 15 La Liga goals to end Barcelona's 11-year wait for the league title. They dominated that season, too, finishing 10 points ahead of Atletico Madrid in second at a time when two points were awarded for a win.