Joe Jordan

Joseph Jordan (born 15 December 1951) is a Scottish football player, coach and manager.

He was most recently a first-team coach at AFC Bournemouth.

A former striker, he played for Leeds United, Manchester United, and Milan, among others at club level, as well making 52 appearances and scoring 11 goals for Scotland.

As a player, he gained a fearsome 'Jaws' persona due to having lost two front teeth early in his career.

The persona aside, he became known as a strong, fearless and committed player, with skill to match, and good aerial abilities.

Alongside other Scottish players at Leeds, Jordan formed part of the so called 'Scottish mafia'; namely goalkeeper David Harvey (1965–1980, 1982–1984), defender Gordon McQueen (1972–1978), midfielder Billy Bremner (1959–1976), left winger Eddie Gray (1965–1983) and right winger Peter Lorimer (1963–1979, 1983–1986).

Jordan began his professional career in 1968 at Morton.

He initially played for Morton part-time.

He was part of the successful Leeds United team of the 1970s, winning the 1973–74 Football League First Division title.

Jordan moved to Leeds United for £15,000 in 1970.

There was little prospect of Jordan making first-team, as the partnership of Allan Clarke and Mick Jones was a well established and successful duo.

Cup success was elusive however, being a losing finalist with Leeds in the 1973 European Cup Winners' Cup final and 1975 European Cup final, and the 1979 FA Cup final with Manchester United.

He is considered a legend among the Tartan Army of Scotland fans, being best remembered for scoring the crucial goal against Czechoslovakia in 1973 which ensured Scotland qualified for their first World Cup finals in 16 years.

Jordan was born in the village of Cleland, Lanarkshire (sometimes given as the nearby town of Carluke ).

After leaving school, Jordan became an apprentice draughtsman.

At age 15, Jordan had also begun playing for the Scottish Junior Football Association club, Blantyre Victoria.

In 1973, he made 16 League starts and scoring nine goals.

However, he was left out of the team that contested the FA Cup final against Sunderland which Leeds lost 1–0.

Don Revie would select him for the 1973 European Cup Winners' Cup Final played on 16 May against Milan, another 1–0 defeat.

Jordan was a regular in the following season, as Leeds coasted to the League title.

He scored seven goals in 25 League games.

At international level he is the only Scottish player to score in three World Cups, in 1974, 1978 and 1982.

After retiring from playing, Jordan moved into coaching and management, at a number of clubs, most notably managing Heart of Midlothian in Scotland before later becoming first-team coach at Portsmouth under Harry Redknapp, with whom he has since developed a close working relationship, later following him to Tottenham Hotspur.

In coaching and management he is described by Redknapp and others as an enigmatic coach who bears listening to, who has lost none of his 'hard man' reputation as a player.

By 1974, Jordan was Leeds' main target man, providing many knock downs for Peter Lorimer to volley.

Jordan was the Leeds number 9 in the team which lost the 1975 European Cup Final 2–0 to Bayern Munich, described as the last hurrah for Revie's Leeds team.

With Leeds in decline, Jordan moved to Manchester United in January 1978 for £350,000.

His final league record for Leeds was 39 goals from 135 games.

His Leeds and Scotland colleague Gordon McQueen soon followed.

The deal set a new transfer fee record for a transfer between two English clubs.

As the new Manchester United number 9, Jordan reached the 1979 FA Cup final, ultimately losing 3–2 to the north London club Arsenal.

During a 1980 FA Cup third round replay at Old Trafford, Jordan clashed with Tottenham goalkeeper Milija Aleksic, dislocating Alexsic's jaw.

He remained at Old Trafford until 1981, when he moved to Italy to Milan.

Jordan spent two seasons playing for Milan, scoring 12 goals in 52 league games.

This was the 1981–82 season in the Italian top division, Serie A, and the 1982–83 season in Italian second division, Serie B.

In his first season, he scored two goals in 22 league games, but after a bad run of results, the club was relegated to Serie B as the third last finishers in Serie A, one point behind Genoa.

In the second season he scored 10 goals in 30 league games, and the club returned to Serie A, being promoted as Serie B champions, eight points ahead of Lazio.

For his efforts for club and country as a player, he was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

The Independent in 2011 described this as a revenge act for Aleksic having repeatedly been charging Jordan during corners.

It became known as the game that saw Tottenham's best player Glenn Hoddle have to play in goal.