Derek Johnstone
A versatile Scotland international who uniquely played in defence, midfield, and attack for his country.
Derek Johnstone is a Scottish former football player and manager born on 4 November 1953. He played mainly for Rangers, winning 14 major trophies during his career. While he had spells at Chelsea and Partick Thistle, the source does not record any time spent at Celtic FC.
- Born
- 4 November 1953
- Nationality
- Scottish
- Main Club
- Rangers
- Major Trophies (Rangers)
- 14
- Debut Date
- 19 September 1970
- Debut Age
- 16 years and 319 days
- Goals in Debut Match
- 2
- Total Goals for Rangers (1975–76 season)
- 31
- Total Goals for Rangers (1977–78 season)
- 38
- Chelsea Transfer Fee
- £30,000
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Johnstone signed for Rangers as a schoolboy in 1968 and turned professional in 1970. He made his debut on 19 September 1970 against Cowdenbeath at age 16 years and 319 days, scoring two goals in a 5–0 win. Just five weeks later, at 16, he scored the winning header against Celtic to secure the 1970 Scottish League Cup Final. He was still only 18 when he deputised as a centre-back in the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup Final against Dynamo Moscow after regular defenders were injured.
In Their Own Story
In the 1975–76 season, Johnstone scored two goals in the Scottish Cup Final win over Hearts. His first goal came after just 42 seconds; because the referee had kicked off early, this made him the scorer of a goal before the official 3pm kick-off time. He later became captain in 1978 and scored twice in the second replay of the 1978–79 Scottish Cup Final against Hibernian. In 1977–78, he scored thirty-eight goals and won both the SPFA Players' Player of the Year and SFWA Footballer of the Year awards.
Reader's Guide
Johnstone played mainly as a striker but also performed in central defence and midfield. Uniquely for Scotland, he was selected to play in all three positions: defence, midfield, and attack. He left Rangers for Chelsea in 1983 for a £30,000 fee, making just four appearances before returning to Rangers in January 1985 for £25,000. After 23 appearances and one goal on his return, he received a free transfer when Graeme Souness took over in summer 1986. He then served as player-manager of Partick Thistle during the 1986–87 season before leaving professional football in 1987.
Did You Know?
- He uniquely played in defence, midfield, and attack for Scotland.
- At age 16, he scored the winning goal against Celtic in the 1970 Scottish League Cup Final.
- In a 1976 Scottish Cup Final match, he scored before the official 3pm kick-off time because the referee started early.
- He was an 18-year-old centre-back substitute in the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup Final when regular defenders were injured.
- He won both the SPFA Players' Player of the Year and SFWA Footballer of the Year awards in the same season (1977–78).
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