Football icons: Walter Smith

Let's take a look at another football icon. This time it's Walter Smith

He achieved legendary status as manager of Rangers. He won 21 trophies in two spells making him the second most successful Rangers boss ever.

Walter Smith as a player

Smith was a defender that played more than 200 games for Dundee United. He quickly began his coaching career under Jim McLean when a pelvic injury forced him to retire early. Throughout his career, he also played for Dumbarton and had a loan spell at Dallas Tornado in the North American Soccer League. He was destined for a career in coaching and management.

Becoming a legend at Ibrox

When Souness left for Liverpool in April 1991, Smith was appointed interim manager.This was made permanent in May 1991, after the club clinched another league title. Six more league titles in succession followed under Smith's tenure, including a domestic treble in 1992–93.

He also won the Scottish Cup and the League Cup three times each. Smith took Rangers to the brink of the final of the Champions League in season 1992–93, going ten games without defeat in that campaign and 44 matches unbeaten in all competitions.

This success was achieved at a cost, as Smith spent over £50m on transfer fees in his six years in charge – more than any other club in Great Britain over the same period. Rangers then equalled Celtic's record of nine successive championships in 1996–97. In an effort to secure a record-breaking tenth success in 1997–98, Rangers spent £13m on eight new players. This was a high amount at the time. 

In European competition, Rangers were beaten 4–1 by IFK Gothenburg in the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League preliminary round and 4–2 by Strasbourg in the first round of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup. There was growing pressure on Smith because of poor European results. 

It was later announced in October 1997 that he would leave Rangers at the end of the season. Rangers lost the league title to Celtic on the final day and then lost the 1998 Scottish Cup Final to Hearts. A poor end to a wonderful time time.

Everton and Scotland

Under Smith, Everton finished in the bottom half of the table for three consecutive seasons. The Everton board finally ran out of patience with Smith and he was sacked in March 2002 after an awful 3–0 FA Cup Sixth Round defeat to Middlesbrough, with Everton in some danger of relegation from the Premier League. He was replaced by David Moyes. The former Preston manager stayed at Everton until the end of the 2012/2013 season.

Following a spell as assistant manager at Manchester United where he helped them win the 2004 FA Cup, Smith was appointed manager of the Scotland on 2 December 2004.Scotland's world ranking improved by seventy places during his time. They recorded a famous victory against France during an unsuccessful bid to qualify for Euro 2008. 

Return to Rangers

During a second spell at Ibrox, he lead the club to three successive titles in 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2010–11. He also won a number of other domestic cups and famously lead them to the UEFA Cup in 2008. Very few Rangers will ever forget that campaign. 

Following his passing, Everton Football Club released this following statement: "Everton Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the club's former manager, Walter Smith OBE.

"The Scot was a tremendously popular figure at Everton, players and staff unanimously warming to Smith's genial and empathetic nature."

RIP Walter Smith, you will be missed by everyone in football.