Kenny Dalglish lifts lid on his Scotland World Cup regrets and makes claim about Premiership title race
King Kenny returns to Hampden the day after 75th birthday
The tribute has been in place for a while and mercifully survived Hampden Park's recent rebranding. A large image of Kenny Dalglish celebrating another Scotland goal adorns one of the towers of the stadium’s south stand.
It hasn’t been installed to celebrate the legend’s 75th birthday. Still, it was apt that he couldn’t have missed the homage as he stepped out at the national stadium on Thursday the day after reaching such a milestone. As is often the case with those marking another year around the sun, some wistfulness was evident.
“I’d rather be on the other side,” he said when asked later about the huge banner picture of himself. “The side with the grass on it.” There was some regret, too, as conversation shifted to this summer’s World Cup, now fewer than 100 days away. Dalglish played in three and scored in two before injury forced him out of the squad for Mexico ’86. “I don't think any of the times - when I went to the World Cup anyway - that we did enough, or did what we were more capable of doing,” he reflected. "I mean, Argentina…we beat Holland 3-2. We were 3-1 up. We just needed another goal….”
It goes without saying that he hopes the present side can make history and qualify for the knockout stage. “If there was one thing you wanted to look back and say, what would you do differently? That would be one of them,” he mused. “To do better than what we did."
It was good to catch up with Dalglish so shortly after such a significant birthday. What better way to celebrate turning 75 than to be chauffeur-driven from his home on Merseyside to another place he associates with so many good memories? Speaking to a gathering of journalists might not have been how Dalglish would choose to spend the day after reaching this milestone. But even King Kenny can’t have it all.
What had he done the previous day? “Victor McLaglen, a Quiet Man,” he answered utterly bafflingly for those without knowledge of 1950s films by John Ford. McLaglen was one of the stars of The Quiet Man, released the year after Dalglish was born in 1952.
It was as if he was saying: you know me, nothing changes - as tricky to interview as I was to play against. The Liverpool and Celtic legend was back in his Glasgow hometown for some promotional work ahead of this weekend’s Scottish Cup quarter-final programme, which includes Sunday’s latest Rangers v Celtic fixture at Ibrox. And while Dalglish might look pretty good for his age, it’s startling to consider that someone just 12 months younger, whom he faced many times on the football pitch, is still operating on the Old Firm frontline and will have significant input on the occasion.
Martin O’Neill left his mark on last weekend’s league meeting by making two half-time changes that swung the game in Celtic’s favour as they roared back to 2-2. The Celtic manager celebrated his 74th birthday that same day. “He never looked sprightly when he played!” was Dalglish’s considered view on the evergreen O’Neill.
Liverpool and Nottingham Forest enjoyed some ding-dong battles back in the day. What was it like playing against O’Neill? “A doddle” smiled Dalglish. “Cloughie got a tune out of everybody, didn't he? So, no, they were good. They put us out of the Champions League (European Cup). They won the league, we won the Champions League. And we played each other. We'd coincidentally got drawn against each other in the first round."
These were the days when Scots were liberally sprinkled across both sides. He has been keeping tabs on the resurgent domestic scene in Scotland but is wary of those hailing long term benefits of having four teams in the hunt for the Scottish title. “Motherwell, Rangers, Celtic and Hearts – you’d have thought there would be a great deal more Scottish players coming through, wouldn’t you?” Dalglish remarked. “It is great to see the Premiership having a bit of competition rather than just two clubs going for it – now you’ve got four. And by the way, one of them are the favourites to win it I would have thought. Why would you go against Hearts? Every one of them would rather have the points Hearts have got.”
Although Liverpool were perennial winners, he has some experience with underdogs after taking over the admittedly monied Blackburn Rovers and leading them to the title in 1995. “The only place where it is going to be decided is on the pitch,” he said. “Other teams’ results might help you. But before you can get help you have to help yourself. It does not matter about the dos or donts, or the has or has beens, just go and do it.
“You can have all the know how you want, it does not make any difference if you don’t have the ability,” he added. "Points make prizes, someone said on a TV show I think. Points make prizes. You can sit and surmise and speculate about this way, that way. But they (Hearts) have the points and deserve to be there.”
He might have come all the way to Scotland from his Liverpool home, but Scotland are coming to him later this month. Well, to Everton’s new stadium at least. Scotland's record cap holder and joint-equal top scorer will be in attendance. Dalglish's beloved Liverpool are not scheduled to play at the Hill Dickinson stadium until April so the pre-World Cup game against the Ivory Coast will be the first time he has visited this new eye-catching landmark on the edge of the Mersey.
He has heard complaints about its accessibility. “It’s right on the water! It’s a real trek from the city centre, you cannae park. It looks like a good stadium. I’ve no’ been in it yet. But it’s murder to get away from. It looks impressive but if you cannae get to it….”
A river is one obvious obstacle. Those of a certain age who saw King Kenny in his pomp might point out that he could always walk across it.
Kenny Dalglish was promoting Premier Sports’ live and exclusive coverage of Rangers v Celtic on Sunday from 12pm on Premier Sports 1. Watch Premier Sports via your TV provider on Sky, Virgin TV, STV Player and Amazon Prime as an add-on subscription, and on the Premier Sports’ Player.
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