Basque Greatest All-time 23 member team

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

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Ignacio Kortabarria and José Ángel Iribar 1976 showing the Basque flag in 1976

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad,
Spain
Basque, Catalonia, Castile without Madrid players, Madrid Community, Andalusia, Valencian Community, Galicia, Aragon.
Asturias, Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, Extremadura, Murica. 

What if Spain qualified for 1958 World Cup Finals

Spain without Catalan players World Cup 2010

Catalonia World Cup 2010

Basque National Team in Euro 2024

The Basque country is the homeland of the Basque people.  It consists areas that are parts of Spain and France.  The Basque footballers have been capped by many countries. Athletic Bilbao is the symbol of Basque nationalism.  It is one of the most successful clubs in Spain.  It has an unwritten rule that the club only fields Basque players.  

It comprises the Autonomous Communities of the Basque Country and Navarre in Spain and the Northern Basque Country in France. The region is home to the Basque people (Basque: Euskaldunak), their language (Basque: Euskara), culture and traditions. The area is neither linguistically nor culturally homogeneous, and certain areas have a majority of people who do not consider themselves Basque, such as the south of Navarre

This is my All-Time 23 member team for the Basque people.  I am including overseas Basque players who were capped by other countries.  The number 23 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the World Cup Finals and other major tournaments.

Basque National Team

Team 
GK: Andoni Zubizarreta (Spain)
Andoni Zubizarreta represented La Roja in 4 World Cup Finals. He was at one point Spain's cap record holder.  He started with Athletic Bilboa.  He also played for Barcelona and Valencia.  He won Barcelona's first ever Champions' League in 1992.  After the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League, where Barcelona lost 0–4 to A.C. Milan in the final, Zubizarreta was deemed surplus to requirements.

GK: José Ángel Iribar (Spain)
José Ángel Iribor spent his entire career with Athletic Bibao from 1962 to 1980, except a season at the club's feeder club, CD Basconia.  He played over 600 games in a 18 year career.  For the national team, he played 49 times for Spain between 1964 and 1976. He was Spain's starting keeper at the 1964 European Championship as Spain won their first ever major trophy. He was also Spain's starting keeper at the World Cup Finals in 1966.

GK: Luis Arconada (Spain)
Luis Arconada played his entire career with Real Sociedad, capturing back-to-back La liga titles from 1980 to 1982.  He was capped 68 times, helping Spain to reach the Euro 1984 Final.  His blunder, however, in the Final caused Spain to lose in that Final against France. He also went to the 1978 and 1982 World Cups as well as Euro 1980. 


RB: José Orue (Spain)
José Orue was a long-time footballer for Atletic Bilboa during the 1950's.  At the time of writing, he is their fourth most appearance record for the club. He won one league and three Copa del Rey trophies in the 50's, including the double in the 1955–56 campaign.  He earned 3 caps for Spain.

RB/CB: Jose Nasazzi (Uruguay)
He was the captain of Uruguay's legendary team that won the World Cup in 1930.   He is regarded by many as Uruguay's greatest ever football player. He was known as "El Gran Mariscal" (The Great Marshal) and had already won the gold medal at the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games, as well as the South American Championship in 1923, 1924 and 1926, by the time of the first World Cup.

CB:  Jacinto Quincoces (Spain)
Jacinto Quincoces was one of the greatest defenders of the pre-war era. He played for Deportivo Alavés from 1920 to 1931.  From 1931 to 1942, he played for Real Madrid.  He won the first ever title for Real Madrid in 1930.  He was widely considered one of the first soccer idols in Spain.  He played 25 times for Spain between 1928 and 1936.  He made his international debut in 1928 against Mexico.   He went to the World Cup Finals in 1934.

Jacinto Quincoces 

CB:  Andoni Goikoetxea (Spain)
Nicknamed "The Butcher" for his style of play, Goikoetxea played mainly for Atletic Bilboa, but also with Atletico Madrid.  He was a part of Javier Clemente's Bilboa team that won back-to-back league title from 1982 to 1984.  However, he was best remembered for almost ending Diego Maradona's career with a tackle in 1983.  A year later, he became the focal point of the infamous brawl between Barcelona and Atletic Bilboa at the Final of Copa del Rey.  

CB:  Jesús Garay (Spain)
Rated among the best ever centre-back to be capped for Spain, Garay went to the World Cup Finals in 1962.  He spent 10 seasons with Athletic Bilboa and then, Barcelona for another 5 seasons. He won five major titles with Athletic Bilboa. He also played a single season with CD Málaga. He had 29 caps. He was part of the squad that competed at the 1962 World Cup. 

LB:  Bixente Lizarazu (France)
Bixente Lizarazu was the leftback for the all-conquering French team of 1990's and early 2000's.  He won the World Cup in 1998 and European Championship in 2000. He had 97 caps. Lizarazu began his professional career with Girondins de Bordeaux, but better known for playing with Bayern Munich for 9 seasons. He won the Champions' League in 2001. He is a Basque and he also played for Atletico Bilbao. 

Bixente Lizarazu 

LB:  Agustin Aranzabal (Spain)
From 1993 to 2004, he starred for Real Sociedad. He helped the club to finish second during the 2002–03 season. He moved to Zaragoza in 2004, but could not find any successes.   He retired in 2008, but in early 2010, he retired and joined Kitchee SC from Hong Kong, playing along side Albert Celades.  He had 28 caps and went to the World Cuo Finals in 1998.

DM: Ignacio Zoco (Spain)
Ignacio Zoco was best remembered for his 12 seasons with Real Madrid. He was a member of the Ye Ye team of Real Madrid that defined an era in Spanish football.  He won the 1966 European Cup with the club.  He played more than 20 times with Spain, winning the 1964 European Nations' Cup and also representing the nation at the 1966 World Cup.

DM:  Didier Deschamps (France)
Deschamps was only the second player in history to captain his team to lift the three big trophies: the Champions League trophy, the World Cup trophy and the European Championship trophy.  He started his career with Nantes. The prime of his career was spent with Marseille and Juventus, where he won a Champions League for both club.  He earned 103 caps and was the captain of 1998 World Cup winning team for France.

CM/DM/LM: Jose Maria Zarraga (Spain)
From 1951 to 1961, he played for Real Madrid.  He won 11 major trophies, including 5 straight European Cups– he played in all the finals, and totalled 31 appearances combined in those victorious campaigns.  The 1959-1960 team was considered one of the greatest ever club sides in history. He made 8 appearance with Spain and once as the captain.

CM: Xabi Alonso  (Spain)
Xabi Alonso started with Real Sociedad.  He joined Liverpool in 2004 winning the Champions' League trophy in his first season.  In 2009, he moved to Real Madrid, winning the Champions' League again in 2014.  In 2014, he joined Bayern Munich. He was a key member of the Spanish team that won the World Cup in 2010 and two European Championships in 2008 and 2012.  His 114 caps make him the fifth most capped player in the nation's history.

Xabi Alonso

AM/RM: Gaizka Mendieta (Spain)
Gaizka Mendieta was a big star while playing for Valencia between 1993 and 2001.  He led them to back-to-back Champions' League Final in 2000 and 2001.  He moved to Lazio in 2001, but he failed to find his form.  Then, he played one season with Barcelona, where the club only finished 6th at the league.  He would also play with Middesbrough FC. He earned 40 caps. He went to Euro 2000 and the World Cup Finals in 2002.

LW: Agustin Gainza (Spain) 
Agustín Gaínza is one of Atletico Bilboa's greatest players.  He spent his entire career with Athletic Bilbao, winning 10 major titles between 1940 and 1959.  When he retired, he was the club's appearance record holder. He won 33 caps and was the captain of Spain in the 1950 World Cup Finals in Brazil, where they finished 4th.

FW/RW: Joseba Etxeberria (Spain)
Joseba Etxeberria started his career with Real Sociedad, but after a single season, he moved to Athletic Bilbao in 1995, breaking the transfer record for an under 18 player in Spain.  The transfer also broke off formal relationship between the two clubs. He was capped 53 times, representing his country at the 1998 World Cup,  Euro 2000 and Euro 2004.

AM/ST:  Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
Diego Forlan's career in Europe started slowly, but his career finally took off after heading to Spain in 2004.  He was two-time European Golden Shoe winner in 2004-2005 and then, 2008-2009.  His best years were with Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, winning the UEFA Europa League with the latter. He had 112 caps, leading Uruguay to the 2011 Copa America title as well the semi-final of the 2010 World Cup Finals.  He won the Golden Ball at South Africa 2010.

Diego Forlan

ST: Mundo (Spain)
Edmundo Suárez Trabanco was known as Mundo.  He is the highest scorer in Valencia's history and remained one of the top scorers in La Liga's history.  He started his career with Athletic Bilbao, playing a single game before the Spanish Civil War cut short his stay.  He played for Valencia after the War between 1939 and 1950.  Capped 3 times.

ST: Rafael Moreno Aranzadi "Pichichi" (Spain)
The award for la Liga top-scorer is named after him.  He scored 240 goals in 170 matches for Athletic Bilbao. He won 4 Copa del Rey. In 1920, Pichichi was a member of the very first Spain national team that played at the Summer Olympic Games in Belgium. He earned five senior caps during one month, his debut coming on 28 August in a 1–0 win against Denmark.

ST: Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina)
Born in France of an Argentinian player Jorge Higuain, Gonzalo first starred for River Plate in Argentina.  He joined Real Madrid in 2006.  He became a fan's favourite after scoring the winning goal against Espanyol on his debut season.  He would stay with the club until 2013.  For the national team, he earned 52 caps.  He was brought into the national team after Argentina struggled to qualify for South Africa 2010.

Gonzalo Higuain

ST: Isidro Langara (Spain)
Langara was a star player with Real Oviedo before the start of the Spanish Civil War.  After the War, he became an exile playing for San Lorenzo in Argentina. He scored 110 goals in 121 games.  In 1940, he was the league's joint-top scorer. In 1943, he moved to play for Real Espana in Mexico.  He was the league's top scorer.  In 1946, he returned to Spain and played fro Real Oviedo again.

ST: Telmo Zarra (Spain)
Athletic Bilbao's greatest player.  Zarra signed for Athletic after playing one season for Erandio. He became a prolific goalscorer in his 15 seasons at the club, winning the Pichichi Trophy as the highest scorer in La Liga on six occasions. During his career, Zarra scored a total of 251 league goals, a Spanish record that lasted nearly six decades. His 81 goals in the Copa del Rey remains a record today .He was capped 20 times and scored 20 goals for Spain. He was a member of the 1950 World Cup team.

Telmo Zarra

Honorable Mention:
Ivan Campo, Aitor Karanka, Agustin Aranzabal , Jose Ramon Alexanko, Leonardo Cilaurren, Jose Mari Bakero, Estanisiao Argote, Luis Regueiro, Bata, Fernando Llorente, Dani, Urrutti, Juan Alonso, Ignacio Eizaguirre, Julen Guerrero, Jose Eulogio Garate, Julio Salinas, Cesar Azpilicueta. Asier del Horno, Javi Martínez, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Aritz Aduriz, René Petit (France), Asier Illarramendi, Ion Andoni Goikoetxea, Jose Eulogio Garate, Ander Herrera, Pablo Zanaleta (Argentina), Ezequiel Garay (Argentina), Rafael Alkorta (Spain), Francisco-Gamborena.

Squad Explanation
-- Andoni Zubizarreta, Telmo Zarra, Andoni Zubizarreta, Xabi Alonso and Jacinto Quincoces were automatic selections. I also decided to select players from Basque diaspora. Didiner Deschamps, Jose Nasazzi, Diego Forlan and Gonzalo Higuain were too good to be ignored.  They were of Basque descent.  Bixente Lizarazu actually played for Atletico Bilboa. I took different approaches toward different regional teams.

-- I should create an all-Basque team without the diaspora or another one with just the diaspora.  I am not sure if I could find goalkeepers for the diaspora team.

-- The team consisted two World Cup winning captains, Didiner Deschamps and Jose Nasazzi

-- I have yet to decide if I should follow Athletic Bilbao's policy of using non-Basque footballer born or trained in the country.  Iñaki Williams is born in the Basque Country of Ghanaian parents. He is eligible to play for  Athletic Bilbao.  He is a good player, but still a long way before I put serious thought on selecting him.  Jonás Ramalho and Yuri Berchiche are two of the more famous non-Basque ethnic footballer playing for the club.  

-- Antonine Griezmann came from the youth academy of Real Sociedad, which made him eligible for Athletic Bilboa.  So I had to think deep into the issue for his elibility. If the Basque national team is a FIFA-sanctioned national team, the Basque-born players would likely played for the Basque national team.  However, Griezmann was born in France of German and Portuguese background.  No one would ever know if he would ever be entitled to a Basque passport by just spending some time in the country. Athletic Bilboa's policy is not the citizenship law of an imaginary Basque nation.  So I assumed that he probably would be playing for France even if Basque was a FIFA-sanctioned national team,

-- Basque had strength in keepers. Juan Alonso, Urrutti and Ignacio Eizaguirre were great keepers, but could not make the cut. The three goalkeepers are probably among the greatest in Spain.  Andoni Zubizarreta and José Ángel Iribar did not need introduction.  Luis Arconada's blunder in the Final of Euro 1984 hurt his reputation, but he was one of the best goalkeepers in his time. 

-- Spain won the 2024 European Championship with a strong Basque connection. Of the 15 players who played on the Final against England. seven players who either played or had played for the two Basque team, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad. Two more players were also on the team.

-- Jose Nasazzi's mother came from Basque.  I did not learn of it until November, 2019. He should be on this team.  I am sure that I left off many players with maternal side of the family being of Basque background.  I replaced Rafael Alkorta (Spain) with him.

-- Juan Usatorre was a Soviet Union central defender of Basque origin. He was born in Moscow from a family of political exiles.  In his career, he played with Torpedo Moscow, Spartak Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow and Dinamo Minsk.  From 1962 to 1965, he starred in Minsk.  He was capped by the USSR 10 times.  His background was interesting.

-- Jose Nasazzi would probably be a centerback in the modern football, but he is often listed as a rightback. At the time of writing, José Orue is their fourth most appearance record for the club.  I rewarded him a spot.  The fact that he played for Atletic Bilboa helped his case.  Cesar Azpilicueta had done many things in his career, but Atletic Bilboa was very important for Basque nationalism.  Pablo Zanaleta (Argentina) probably deserved a spot too.  

-- Because of Jose Nasazzi, I only took three other central defenders and a single rightback.  Jacinto Quincoces was one of the greatest defenders of the pre-war era.  Then, I selected  Jesús Garay was among the greatest ever from Spain. Andoni Goikoetxea earned his reputation through his toughness. Ivan Campo, Aitor Karanka, Rafael Alkorta, Jose Ramon Alexanko and Ezequiel Garay did not have as famous as the three other central defenders I have selected.

--  I selected Andoni Goikoetxea, not Jon Andoni Goikoetxea.  Andoni Goikoetxea was also known for his controversial rivalry with Diego Maradona.  He broke Maradona's ankle earning the nickname "Butcher of Bilboa".  Their rivalry led to a massive brawl between the two teams in the Final of the 1984 Copa Del Rey.  Jon Andoni Goikoetxea known as as Goiko could play in various position.   He was mainly an attacker. Andoni Goikoetxea was the centerback known for his rivalry with Diego Maradona. 

-- Bixente Lizarazu (France) took over the leftback position.  I left Asier del Horno off and and I selected Jose Maria Zarraga who was a key member of Real Madrid of the 1950's.  He could play as a left back. 

-- Gaizka Mendieta, Xabi Alonso and Didier Deschamps easily took three of the midfield spots.  Jose Maria Zarraga served as the captain of Alfredo Di Stefanio's Real Madrid team, and Ignacio Zoco was among the best ever midfielders in his time. 

-- Leonardo Cilaurren, Jose Mari Bakero and Javi Martinez deserved a spot, but the players ahead of them were too good.

-- Agustín Gaínza is one of Athletic Bilbao's greatest players.  He spent his entire career with Athletic Bilbao. Joseba Etxeberria was selected for his commitment to Athletic Bilbao, which is considered to be liked the real national team of Basque. 
-- Telmo Zarra is probably the best known striker from Basque.
-- The award for La Liga top-scorer was named after Rafael Moreno Aranzadi "Pichichi" (Spain).
-- Fernando Llorente deserved his chances with the team. He might be more famous than Joseba Etxeberria, but Etxeberria was chosen ahead of him because he played his entire career with the two Basque clubs.  He also played 50 times for Spain. The same reason applied to Jose Eulogio Garate.

-- Diego Forlan is listed as a Basque, but Diego's bloodline came from his mother's side. Pablo Forlan is not a Basque.
 
Starting lineup
Basque has a number of great strikers, but Diego Forlan proved himself at the World Cup Finals, the highest stage in football.

Scotland Greatest All-time team

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of  was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

 

Wembley Wizards

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

England, Scotland, Wales,
Ireland/Northern Ireland combined team,
Ireland, Northern Ireland,
United Kingdom, If Scotland qualified for the World Cup 1970


Scotland was credited for spreading the game of football around the world.  Today, the Latin style of football was evolved from the short passing game of Scotland.  Charles Miller, a Scot, was said to have brought the game to Brazil.  The Argentine Football Association was founded by a Scot. 

In the beginning, Scotland almost played excursively against teams from the British isles. The Wembley Wizards was probably the first of the great Scottish sides.  They beat England 5-1 in 1928.  Scotland participated in their first World Cup Finals in 1954.  They only brought 13 players in a squad of 22.  Four years later, Matt Busby was due to manage the team, but he withdrew after suffering injuries from the Munich Air Disaster. They did not fare well in both tournaments.

From the 1970's to the early 1980's, Scottish players such as Denis Law, Billy Bremner, Alan Hansen, Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness were starring in the English league and European football. Scotland qualified 5 straight WC Finals in this period.  In 1974, they went to the World Cup Finals, which turned out to be their best World Cup Finals.  They remained undefeated, but went out because of poorer goal difference.  In 1978, they had played poorly in the first two games, but beat eventual finalist Holland 3-2 on the final match.  They also went to World Cup Finals in 1982, 1986 and 1990, but failed to reach the second stage on each occasion.

This is my all-time team for Scotland. If there were an All-Time World Cup, this would be the 23 players I would bring to the tournament. 

Scotland World Cup 1978

Team
GK: Jim Leighton
Jim Leighton's international career lasted for 16 years, from 1982 to 1998. He was an uncapped squad member for the 1982 World Cup. He played in all of his country's matches at the 1986, 1990 and 1998 World Cups. He is the second highest cap record holder. For club football, he played for Aberdeen (two spells), Manchester United, Arsenal, Dundee and Hibernian.  He won the 1983 Cup Winners' Cup with Aberdeen.

GK:  Ronnie Simpson
Ronnie Simpson was one of the "Lisbon Lions" who won the European Cup in 1967.  He also played for Queen's Park, Third Lanark Newcastle United and Hibernian. He represented Great Britain at the 1948 Olympics, but he did not play for Scotland until 1966.  He set a new record for being the oldest player to make his Scotland debut, aged 36 years and 196 days.  He was capped 5 times.  He was considered to be Celtics' best ever keeper.

GK: Andy Goram 
Goram was voted as Glasglow Rangers' greatest keeper.  He played for them between 1991 and 1999.  He played for many clubs after his career with Rangers. His international career, however, was limited due to playing at the same time as Jimmy Leighton. He was capped 43 times.  He was selected for their squads at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, UEFA Euro 1992 and UEFA Euro 1996.

RB: Danny McGrain 
McGrain was an All-time great for Celtics.  He was among the best ever rightback coming out of United Kingdom.  With Celtic, he won seven League Championships, five Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups. He spent his final season of his career with Hamilton Accies, where he helped win them promotion to the premier league. He played in the 1974 and 1982 World Cups for Scotland, captaining the side in their opening match against New Zealand at the 1982 World Cup.

Danny McGrain

RB:  Sandy Jardine
Jardine played for Rangers from 1965 to 1982.  He twice won the Scottish Football Writers Association Player of the Year award and was part of the Rangers team that won the 1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup. He was capped 38 times.  He played another 6 seasons with Heart of Midlothian. He appeared at the World Cup Finals in 1974 and 1978. 

CB: Willie Miller
Miller's central defensive partnership with Alex McLeish was integral to Aberdeen's success in the 1980s, as they won all the major domestic honours and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1983.   He played for them between 1971 and 1990.  For Scotland, he played 65 times.  He attended 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals.  He was an inaugural inductee to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2004.  In 2003, Willie Miller was voted the greatest Aberdeen player of all time in a poll to mark the club's centenary.

CB: Billy McNeill
As the captain of "Lisbon Lions, Billy McNeill became the first British footballer to hold aloft the European Cup, when Celtic won the Cup in 1967. He also won nine Scottish League championships, seven Scottish Cups, and six Scottish League Cups. He was voted as Cetlics' greatest captain.  He was capped 29 times for Scotland between 1961 and 1972.  He was SFWA Footballer of the Year for the 1964–65 season.

SW: Alan Hansen
Among the greatest defender ever from United Kingdom.  He won three European Cups and 8 English league titles with the great Liverpool team of the 1970's and 1980's. Despite being one pf the greatest ever centerback from the UK, Hansen only won 26 Scotland caps. The reason given for his lack of caps by Scotland coaches of the 1980s was that a formidable central defensive partnership had formed between Willie Miller and Alex McLeish at Aberdeen.  he played in the 1982 WC Finals, but he left off controversially the WC in 1986. 

Alan Hansen

LB/CB: John Greig
Greig played his entire career with Rangers.  He was voted as the greatest Ranger ever by the fans in 1999.  He scored 120 goals for the club and won three domestic trebles. Greig actually started his career with Rangers as a forward, prior to being moved to defense. He won the 1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup. He was capped 44 times.  He led Scotland in a famous victory over England, their first defeat as World Cup winner at Wembley. 

LB: Tommy Gemmell 
Tommy Gemmell was a legendary player with Celtic. He scored the opening goal for the Lisbon Lions in 1967 as Celtic became the first British club to win the European Cup trophy. He scored again at the European Cup Final in 1970 in a defeat to Feyenoord.  He also had a successful career with Nottingham Forest.  He also played for Miami Toros and Dundee. He was capped 18 times for Scotland between 1966 and 1971. 

CM: Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness played for Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Sampdoria, but his greatest achievement came while he played for Liverpool. He was one of the greatest ever Liverpool players.  He won three European Cups with them, captaining the team in the early 1980's.  He was also the Player-Manager for Rangers. He also earned 54 caps for Scotland. He played in 1978, 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals.

Graeme Souness

CM/LM: Jim Baxter 
Jim Baxter was the best Scottish players in the 1960's.  He was known for his performances against England at an era where England won the World Cup.  He helped Scotland beating England many times. Baxter was known for his career with Rangers.  Nicknamed "Slim Jim", he won 10 titles with them. He moved to Sunderland in 1965 and then, Nottingham Forest in 1967.

CM:  Billy Bremner
Bremner was Leeds United's greatest ever player.  He was their captain when they dominated English football.  He was also named as the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1970. He was known for his rough play. He is a member of both the English Football Hall of Fame and Scottish Football Hall of Fame. He spent 1976 to 1978 at Hull City, before being appointed player-manager at Doncaster Rovers in November 1978. He was capped 50 times. He went to the WC finals in 1974.

Billy Bremner

CM:  Paul McStay
McStay spent his entire career with Scottish team Celtic, making his debut in 1982 and retiring in 1997. He captained both Scotland and Celtic at all age levels. He was capped 76 times for his country and scored nine goals. He helped Celtic win three league titles, the last one in 1988 and remains a popular figure amongst Celtic's fans. He played over 500 games for Celtic, captaining them for many years and was considered one of the greatest players for them.

CM/DM/LB: Dave MacKay
Known for his toughness and passing abilities. He won the Double with Tottenham Hotspurs in 1961 and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1963.  He was selected as one of the Football Heros stamp series to celebrate the 150 years of English FA. He also represented Scotland 22 times, and was selected for their 1958 FIFA World Cup squad. Mackay tied with Tony Book of Manchester City for the Football Writers' Association's Footballer of the Year award in 1969.

RW: Jimmy Johnstone

Jimmy Johnstone played over 500 games for Celtic.  In 2002, he was voted as the greatest Cetlic players ever by their fans.  He played over 500 games for them.  He was one of the Lisbon Lions that won the first ever European Cup by a British club. He later played for the San Jose Earthquakes, Sheffield United, Dundee, Shelbourne and Elgin City.  He was capped 23 times.  He went to the World Cup Finals in 1974, but did not play.

Jimmy Johnstone

LW/SS: Billy Liddell 
Billy Liddell was one of the early star for Liverpool. He spent his entire career at Liverpool starting from 1938 to 1961.  He was at one point the appearance record holder for Liverpool.  He was voted the 6th greatest player for them.   He represented Scotland at international level on 29 occasions as well as for Great Britain and wartime representative side.  He was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in November 2008.

LW: Alan Morton
Alan Morton was an early star player for Scotland.  He was part of the "Wembley Wizards" after Scotland beat England 5-1 in 1928.  Between 1913 and 1920, he played for Queen's Park F.C. as an amateur. In 1920, he turned professional by joining Rangers. He won the Scottish Football League in 1921, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1931, and as a Scottish Cup winner in 1930.

AM: Alex James
James was one of the greatest player ever for Arsenal.  He was most noted as the play making lynch pin with Arsenal with whom he won six senior trophies in the first seven seasons of the 1930s. he also played for Preston Northend. For Scotland, he was known with his partnership with Hughie Gallacher. He was a member of "Wembley Wizards" that England 5-1 in 1928. However, he was only capped 8 times. 

Alex James

FW: Denis Law 
Denis Law spent 11 years at Manchester United, where he scored 237 goals in 404 appearances. His goals tally places him third in the club's history, behind Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney. He partnered George Best and Bobby Charlton at Manchester United, which was considered to be most popular forward line in British history.  It was know as the "United Trinity" or the "Holy Trinity". He was capped 55 times.  He managed to play in the 1974 World Cup Finals.

ST: Hughie Gallacher
Hughie Gallacher is one of the Scotland 's most prolific goalscorers with 24 goals from his 20 internationals, a remarkable strike rate of more than a goal a game. Gallacher was one of the Wembley Wizards who beat England 5–1 at Wembley Stadium in 1928. He played for many clubs, but he was probably remembered for playing for Newcastle United, Chelsea and Derby.  He scored over 450 goals while playing in the English league during the 1920's and 1930's. 

ST: Jimmy McGrory 
McGrory is the all-time leading goalscorer in top-flight British football with a total of 485 goals. For Celtic, he is their top scorer of all time, with 469 goals in 448 games and holds their record for the most goals in a season, with 57 goals from 39 games(1926–27). He has also notched up a British top-flight record of 55 hat-tricks, It could be argued he in fact scored 56, as he hit 8 goals in a Scottish League game against Dunfermline in 1928, also a British top-flight record. With Scotland, he was capped 7 times, scoring 6 goals.

ST: Kenny Dalglish 
King Kenny was the greatest player for Liverppol in an era where Liverpool was considered to be among the greatest club sides in history.  He won three European Cups with them. He is the cap record holder and their top ever scorer for Scotland. Dalglish won the Ballon d'Or Silver Award in 1983, the PFA Player of the Year in 1983, and the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1979 and 1983. In 2006 he topped a Liverpool fans' poll of "100 Players Who Shook the Kop".

Kenny Dalglish 

Honorable Mention

Alan Rough, Harry Rennie, Willy Miller, George Young, Gordon McQueen, Martin Buchan, Richard Gough, Colin Hendry, Eric Caldow, Gary McAllister, Bobby Walker, David Meiklejohn, Peter Lorimer, Willie Henderson, Alan Brazil, Bobby Murdoch, Gordon Strachan, Gordon Smith, Andy Robertson, Steve Archibald, Ally McCoist, Willie Woodburn, Bobby Lennox, Davie Cooper, John Robertson, Paul Lambert, Darren Fletcher, Mo Johnston, Alex Young, Archie Gemmill, Jimmy McGrory.

Squad Explanation  

-- The team was edited in Febryary, 2023.

-- Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Alan Hansen, Jimmy Johnstone, Dave MacKay, Denis Law, Hughie Gallacher and Alex James were automatic selections.  No explanation was needed.  The younger generation might have forgotten about Gallacher and James.
-- The majority of players in the team hail from the pre-1990 era, with Scotland boasting numerous exceptional footballers before that time. However, their fortunes in major tournaments like the World Cup Finals and the European Championship were not as favorable. In contrast to my choices for other national teams, I prioritized selecting players based on their accomplishments at the club level. It's worth noting that the individual achievements of these players far surpassed their performances with the national team.

-- In 2015, Scotland National Team sponsor Vauxhall conducted a poll for All-Time Best XI.  The results were Andy Goram, Alex McLeish, Alan Hansen, Colin Hendry, Jimmy Johnstone, Billy Bremner, Graeme Souness, Gordon Strachan, Davie Cooper, Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish.

-- IFFHS created two All-Time Best XI Dream teams.  Their Team A consisted of Andy Goram, Danny McGrain, Alan Hansen, Willie Miller, Eric Caldow, Jimmy Johnstone, Billy Bremner, Graeme Souness, Jim Baxter, Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish.  Their second Best XI were Jim Leighton, John Greig, Alex McLeish, Billy McNeill, Tommy Gemmell, Peter Lorimer, Dave Mackay, Gary McAllister, Archie Gemmill, Alex James and Hughie Gallacher.

-- FourFourTwo has compiled a list of the top ten Scottish footballers of all time in 2022.  The ranking are: 10) Andy Robertson, 9) Gordon Strachan, 8) Dave Mackay, 7) Billy Bremner, 6) Jimmy Johnstone, 5) Billy McNeill, 4) Jim Baxter, 3) Graeme Souness, 2) Denis Law and 1) Kenny Dalglish.

--  During the memorable encounter in 1967, Scotland triumphed over England with a score of 3-2. This victory holds a significant place in Scotland's football history, as it marked England's first defeat subsequent to their World Cup triumph the previous year. The game featured a remarkable lineup including Ronnie Simpson, Billy Bremner, Jim Baxter, John Greig, Tommy Gemmell, and Denis Law.I also did a "what if team" for Scotland at the 1970 World Cup Finals.

England vs Scotland in 1967

-- I have 8 players who played for Celtic and 6 for Rangers.  I also have 4 players who played for Liverpool FC.
-- This is one of my oldest team. Born in 1964, Paul McStay is the youngest player.  Scotland went to the 1998 World Cup Finals, but no one was selected from that team. McStay went to the 1990 World Cup Finals in Italy.
-- From the "Lisbon Lions", I took Billy McNeill, Jimmy Johnstone, Ronnie Simpson, Billy McNeill and Tommy Gemmell. The victory was probably Scotland's greatest moment in football after the War.
-- For Liverpool FC, Alan Hansen, Graeme Souness, and Kenny Dalglish formed the strong foundation of what can be considered the most formidable club team of their generation. However, it is unfortunate that Scotland's performance at the World Cup Finals did not mirror the success of these individuals. Despite their notable achievement of defeating the eventual finalists, Netherlands, during the group stage in 1978, Scotland fell short of progressing to the second round.  In 1982, they were grouped with Brazil one of the greatest national side ever. 
-- I tried my best to add players from "Wembley Wizards". They were Scotland's highest point as a national team.  The three players selected are Hughie Gallacher, Alex James and Alan Morton.  Alex James is sometimes known as the greatest Scottish footballers before the emerge of Kenny Dalglish and Denis Law.  

Goalkeepers

-- England got Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton.  Northern Ireland got Pat Jennings and Wales with Neville Southall. Scotland, on the other hand, lacked an iconic goalkeeper. First, I selected Jim Leighton as my number one because he had a long international career.  It lasted 16 years.

-- Born in 1964, Andy Goram was the youngest player selected on this team. According to BBC poll, he was voted as Scotland's 6th greatest footballer.  The third goalkeeper went to Ronnie Simpson. He only played 5 times for Scotland, but he was considered to be Celtics' best ever keeper.  He did not arrive in Celtic until he was 33 years old. He received his first cap for Scotland at the age of 36, but he represented the United Kingdom in the 1948 Olympics. Alan Rough was probably the 4th goalkeeper.

-- Harry Rennie from the 190th Century pioneered in many goalkeeping practices and methods that were revolutionary in his time.  He was put into honorable mention.

Defenders

-- Selecting the central defender position proved to be the most challenging task. The four chosen centrebacks showcased exceptional performances in European club football competitions. Notably, Scottish club sides won three European titles collectively. Celtic's triumph in the 1966-67 European Cup and Rangers' and Aberdeen's victories in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1972 and 1983, respectively, stand as noteworthy milestones. Impressively, three out of the four central defenders in my selection were instrumental in those conquests. Additionally, Alan Hansen's remarkable journey with Liverpool resulted in him clinching three European Cups. 

-- Alan Hansen whom I considered one of the greatest ever from the United Kingdom.  With Liverpool, he won eight League Championships, two FA Cups, four League Cups, three European Cups and one UEFA Super Cup.  He has been voted into both the English Football and Scottish Football Hall of Fame.  However, he only played 26 times for Scotland.  In fact, some Scottish sources did not even name him as one of Scotland's greatest defenders.

-- Billy McNeill was the captain of Lisbon Lions.  He spent 18 seasons with them. Jim Greig who was voted as the greatest ever Ranger while captaining their Cup Winners' Cup winning team in 1972.  He also captained the Wembley Wizards side of 1967 that beat England. I left out Willie Woodburn, Gordon McQueen and Richard Gough.  Colin Hendry and Martin Buchan also deserved a consideration.

Billy McNeill

-- I would like to reunite Alex McLeish with Willy Miller of Aberdeen, but it was hard to drop any of the other centerbacks I have selected.  In fact, Alan Hansen whom I considered to be among the greatest ever from the United Kingdom was often ignored by Scotland.  Scotland preferred to use club teammates McLeish and Miller.  In the end, I had to pick between McLeish and Miller for the last spot. On paper, McLeish was as good as Miller.  But in 2003, Willie Miller was voted the greatest Aberdeen player of all time in a poll to mark the club's centenary.  Miller might be the more famous of the two.

-- Alex McLeish was known for his defensive partnership with Willie Miller and Jim Leighton that won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1983 with Aberdeen. He is Scotland's third most capped player, having gained 77 international caps between 1980 and 1993. He played in three World Cup Finals with Scotland, in 1982, 1986 and 1990. 

-- In 2013, the readers of the Herald in Scotland voted John Greig, Willie Woodburn and Billy McNeill in the top 10 for the 50 greatest Scottish footballers.  So the decision to drop Woodburn was tough.  His status was affected by his discipline record.  He was banned from football in 1954 for poor conduct on the field and was forced to retire.

-- From 1988 to 1997, Rangers won 9 consecutive League titles.  Richard Gough had most appearances for the club in this period.  Somehow, I did not know about him.  So I took the other four central defenders over him.

-- Danny McGrain was on my United Kingdom All-Time Team.  That was how much I rated him.  He was among the first group of players elected to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2004. Then, I took Sandy Jardine.  He won the Scottish Footballer of the Year award twice.  On the left, Tommy Gemmell was probably undisputed.  I did not select a backup because John Greig could play as a leftback. George Young's omission was controversial.  He was the first Scottish player to earn 50 caps.  He had a total of 54 caps and 48 times as their captain.

-- Steve Nicol was on my original team.  He was the big surprise, especially I did not take Eric Caldrow and George Young.  I took him for his versatility.  In October 2021, I dropped him. Instead, I took a 4th striker. 

Midfielders/Wingers

-- In midfield, Dave Mackay was selected as one of the Football Heros stamp series to celebrate the 150 years of English FA.  The United Kingdom put him on a stamp for a reason.  Billy Bremner was named as the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1970.  His association with Leeds United was well-known. They were two of UK's greatest defensive midfielders.  Graeme Souness also needed no introduction.   Gary McAllister, Archie Gemmill, Gordon Strachan or David Meiklejohn seemed less famous.

Dave Mackay

-- Dave Mackay was also remembered for his iconic photo where he grabbed Billy Bremner by the shirt following a late tackle by Bremner in the Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United game in 1968. 

-- Paul McStay was an icon in Celtics.  He captained Scotland at all age levels, including to victory in the 1981 European Under-18 Championship, which is as yet the only major trophy won by the Scottish Football Association to date.  I did not use achievements at the youth level as an important criteria.  I only mentioned the title here as a miscellaneous fact.

-- Jimmy Baxter only lost to England once in his 6 years with the national team.  His magic moment came in 1967 when Scotland beat World Cup holder England with Baxter as their star player. He also scored a double as Scotland beat England in 1963.
-- Gordon Strachan was probably the most famous midfielder not selected.   Instead, I opted for Alex James, who is often regarded as one of Scotland's greatest footballers prior to the 1960s. Another notable omission was Archie Gemmill, renowned for scoring one of the most iconic goals in the history of the World Cup Finals, representing Scotland. Additionally, Peter Lorimer's incredible performances with Leeds United deserve acknowledgment, but unfortunately, I couldn't find a place for him in the team.

-- During their prime, right winger Willie Henderson was often compared to Jimmy Johnstone, with some Rangers fans even considering Henderson to be superior.  He represented Scotland 29 times from 1962 to 1971. In contrast, Johnstone only made 9 appearances during the same period when Henderson was selected. Johnstone's majority of Scotland appearances came after Henderson had stepped away from international 

-- Willie Waddell and Peter Lorimer could not get into the team because of Jimmy Johnstone. "Jinky" was probably one of the greatest wingers from the United Kingdom.  Besides winning the 1967 European Cup, he helped Celtic to reach the 1970 Final, which proved that the 1967 trophy was no fluke.  I did not have enough space for a second right winger.  .  Unfortunately, I did not have a spot for him.

-- On the left wing, Billy Liddell was one of the early star for Liverpool. He spent his entire career at Liverpool starting from 1938 to 1961.  He was at one point the appearance record holder for Liverpool. 

-- With Billy Liddel and Alan Morton on the team, I had no space for , Bobby Lennox and Davie Cooper.  Lennox was one of Lisbon Lions.  Ruud Gullit considered Davie Cooper as one of the best players he’s ever played against.  He put him on his All-Time Best XI.  John Robertson was another interesting left winger.  For Nottingham Forest, he also scored the winner in the 1980 European Cup Final against Hamburg, and provided the cross for the winning goal in the 1979 European Cup Final, scored by Trevor Francis.

Alan Morton 

-- I did not select Gary McAllister or Paul Lambert.  I might have been biased against Scottish players after the 1980's.  While McAllister enjoyed a good career in England, his successes were nowhere near the previous generations who were the best club players in Europe.  Paul Lambert won a Champions' League with Borussia Dortmund.  I could say that he was on par with some Scottish greatest midfielders, but I still put him on honorable mention.

-- Darren Fletcher spent over 12 seasons with Manchester United, which was an achievement itself.  He was on the PFA Team of the Year for the 2009-2010 season, but however his illness kept him off the field for a long time.  He definitely belonged to honorable mention, but the other Scottish midfielders were all established stars during their career.  Fletcher was famous and won more trophies than most players on the team, but he was never a star player liked Jim Baxter, Dave MacKay, Paul McStay or Billy Bremner.

Forwards

-- Kenny Dalglish won the Ballon d'Or Silver Award in 1983, the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1983, and the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1979 and 1983. In 2009, FourFourTwo magazine named Dalglish the greatest striker in post-war British football, and he has been inducted into both the Scottish and English Football Halls of Fame.

-- King Kenny and Denis Law are the joint leading scorer for Scotland.  Hughie Gallacher was third behind them.  All three of them were considered the greatest Scottish forwards of all-time.  So I did not have spaces for Ian St John, Joe Jordan and Bobby Walker.  

-- Hughie Gallacher won 5 out of 7 games against England in his career.  The England-Scotland game was known as "Auld Enemy", which was very important games at his time. 
-- Denis Law was the winner of Ballon d'or in 1964, which was then the European Player of the Year.  Of course, he was an all-timer with Manchester United.

Denis Law 

-- In 2021, I dropped Steve Nicols.  His replacement? The team had too many midfielders so I did not consider Gordon Strachan. I toyed with the idea of bringing leftback George Young, but the team, I felt, had only three forwards.  So I decided to choose between Joe Jordan, Jimmy McGrory and Ally McCoist.
-- Jimmy McGrory holds the remarkable distinction of being the highest goal scorer in top-flight British football, having netted an impressive total of 550 goals. He also holds the title as Celtic's all-time leading scorer. This record stands as a monumental achievement in Scottish football, making him an essential addition to my selection.
-- Ally McCoist dominated Scottish football in his prime, but Law and Dalglish were the top strikers in the world at their time.  
-- While there is a case to be made for the admiration and courage displayed by Mo Johnston's transfer across the Old Firm, it's crucial to recognize that Scottish fans might have a contrasting viewpoint regarding his inclusion.  I put him on honorable mention.

Starting lineup

Formation: 4-4-2
The formation is a classic British 4-4-2.  I dropped Denis Law for Alex James.  I am a big fan of Dave Mackay so he started over Bremner.  I do not have a preference between Billy McNeill and John Greig.