Andy Goram, who has died of most cancers aged simply 58, is arguably Scotland’s greatest-ever goalkeeper. In an age of sterile professionalism, he additionally stands out as one of many final actually vibrant characters of the sport.
Andy was born with a footballing genius and tormented opposition strikers and followers for many years. Even the late Celtic supervisor Tommy Burns knew it when he quipped his tombstone ought to learn: “Andy Goram Broke My Coronary heart.”
However the tales of the Rangers and Scotland nice’s off-field antics are nearly as legendary. When Sir Alex Ferguson referred to as to signal him for Manchester United, Andy informed him to “f**ok off,” pondering it was a prank name from his former Rangers pal Ally McCoist.
And after Ibrox teammate Paul Gascoigne scored his Euro 96 marvel objective towards Scotland at Wembley, a fuming Goram needed to be held off him throughout a changing-room bust-up again in Glasgow. There are additionally too many tales to recount of his quiet generosity in the direction of mates and followers.
After a charity match for a neighborhood workforce on the top of his fame, Andy was as soon as noticed defending penalties from delighted children lengthy after teammates had showered and headed house.
Goram was capped 43 instances by his nation and was one in all solely two gamers in historical past to additionally characterize Scotland at cricket. He received 5 prime flight titles with Rangers, three Scottish Cups and two League Cups.
If he did not win the love of Celtic followers, he earned their grudging respect in the course of the Ibrox aspect’s dominant nine-in-a-row period.
After realising he was certainly speaking to Ferguson in a telephone name, he signed for Manchester United on mortgage and helped them win the Premier League title in 2000-01.
In April Andy revealed he had been recognized with oesophageal most cancers and had been given six months to stay. It's an extremely aggressive situation however he refused to wallow in self-pity.
Hospital guests have been informed, “No tears,” earlier than Andy cracked jokes and reminisced concerning the outdated days as if nothing had modified.
On account of a sequence of candid interviews in our sister paper the Day by day File, Andy raised consciousness of his situation and prompted tons of of others to go to their physician for a check-up.
In doing so, he may have doubtlessly added many lives to the lengthy record of his heroic saves. Keepers will come and go however there is just one man who will at all times be often known as The Goalie.
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