Ally McCoist has a story for just about every single person that works in football, and returning Everton manager David Moyes is no exception.
With the pair both in the same age group as young professionals making their way in the game, McCoist and Moyes found themselves in the Scotland U18 squad in 1980 after impressing for St Johnstone and Celtic, respectively.
Andy Roxburgh formed part of the coaching staff at that time with Walter Smith, a manager McCoist would later enjoy seven years playing under at Rangers – the pair became exceptionally close, with apprentice later becoming master's assistant.
- ‘After training Alan Hansen was having coffee and I said “I’ll have the same” then just as Jock Stein walked in Kenny Dalglish put a pint of lager in front of me’ Ally McCoist discusses the perils of being a young Scottish international in the 1980s
- ‘Moyes gave me a lot of confidence at Everton. He was strict and more direct, but I liked that. We could argue one day, then the next day everything was fine’: Ex-Toffees star reveals how Scottish manager operated during first spell at Goodison Park
Ally McCoist gets David Moyes involved in mischief with Scotland
Their first ever meeting was a memorable one for different reasons, though, when McCoist and Moyes were playing for a Scotland youth squad in Monaco.
“It was the first time we’d met – he was a coach with Andy Roxburgh, I was 16 and thought it was a great idea to lull Walter onto the balcony of my hotel room, then lock the door,” McCoist recounts to FourFourTwo, a glimmer to his eye even now. “For the first 15 or 20 seconds, I think even he found it quite amusing.
“But as soon as I didn’t open the door again, it was just going to get worse and worse… I was rooming with David Moyes, and said to Moyesy, ‘Don’t open that door until I’m out of the bedroom’.
"I remember running out and heading for the lift and safety before he let Walter out. But I can tell you, Walter did get me, and I did pay for it!”
While McCoist and Moyes later moved on from the U18s, with the former enjoying a brilliant career in Scotland and the latter lifting a Scottish Premier Division title with Celtic before later moving to England, Smith remained with the Scottish youth side.
There, he helped guide his young stars to glory in the 1982 U18 Euros, beating Czechoslovakia in the final. Pat Nevin was one of the scorers, while they also finished above a Netherlands side containing a young Marco van Basten in the group stages, too.
