John McGovern (footballer)

John Prescott McGovern (born 28 October 1949) is a Scottish former association football midfielder and manager.

McGovern is most famous for captaining the Nottingham Forest side that won the European Cup twice under the management of Brian Clough, whom he played under at four clubs, and Peter Taylor.

At the age of 19 he became the youngest player to play in all four divisions of the Football League.

During his playing career he won promotion with Hartlepools United / Hartlepool, Derby County and Nottingham Forest.

He won titles as English League champions with both Derby and Forest.

At Forest he also won the European Super Cup, two Football League Cups, the FA Charity Shield and the Anglo-Scottish Cup.

He was Forest's club captain throughout this period of success.

A hard working central midfield team-player, McGovern passed the ball comfortably with either foot.

John Robertson said, "As far as I'm concerned John McGovern is what epitomises what every good side needs."

McGovern played over 650 senior first team games during his playing career spanning 19 seasons.

McGovern won two Scottish under-23 caps.

He is one of only two Scots players to win UEFA's premier club trophy to never win a full international cap.

He began his senior career in English football's fourth tier with local club Hartlepools United in 1965–66.

'Pools were under the management of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor.

It was Taylor who advocated they get McGovern on the books.

His senior debut was aged 16 on 21 May 1966 in a 1–1 draw v Bradford City in Pools' last home league game of the season.

He became a first team regular the season after.

On 3 September 1966, he signed a pro contract on apprentice terms.

In the 1966–67 season the club finished on a decent 8th spot, however, the following campaign 1967/68, Hartlepool finished third earning promotion to the Third Division.

Clough and Taylor moved to Derby County in May 1967.

His last game for Pools was on 6 September 1968 in a 2–1 defeat at Bristol Rovers.

After playing six games in that 1968/69 season he moved up a division by transferring to Derby County.

They signed 18-year old McGovern to Derby for a fee of £7,500 in September 1968.

For the 1968–69 season his mother and brother relocated with him to Derby (his sister had already moved to California).

He was a 2017 Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductee.

McGovern has player-managed Bolton Wanderers and joint-managed Rotherham United with Archie Gemmill, with whom he won the Football League Trophy.

He has served as assistant manager for Plymouth Argyle and Hull City.

He has also worked in media punditry.

McGovern was born in Montrose, Angus, in north east Scotland.

He lived in Montrose until he was seven years old before moving to Hartlepool.

His father died when McGovern was aged 11.

The young McGovern attended Henry Smith's Grammar School, a rugby-playing school.

However, during school holidays his mother sent him to stay with his grandmother in Boness.

It was in Boness that McGovern started to play football with a band of friends he made there.

Despite being captain of the school teams at rugby and cricket, football became his preferred sport.

Back in Hartlepool he played for his first team when he was 15.

His football heroes were both strikers, Denis Law and Jimmy Greaves, and as a boy McGovern also wanted to become a striker.

Central Park FC then sent him for a trial with local senior club, Hartlepool United.

The young McGovern initially wanted to play as a striker for the glory that came with scoring goals but was unsuited to that role.

He then played as a winger.