Peterhead boss Jim McInally has paid tribute to Walter Smith, saying the managerial great had humility “in abundance.”
While their paths at Dundee United narrowly missed each other, McInally worked with Smith as part of the successful Scotland under-18 side in the early-1980s.
Smith was assistant manager to Andy Roxburgh at the European Youth Championships in 1982 in Finland, where Scotland triumphed 3-1 in the final.
The passing of the former Rangers, Scotland and Everton manager at the age of 73 has prompted an outpouring of grief and poignant remembrance from Scottish football and further afield.
McInally was part of an impressive Scotland U18 squad, which included Eric Black, Steve Clarke, Brian McClair and Bryan Gunn.
The current Blue Toon manager joined United in the summer of 1986, as Smith left to join Rangers after being a trusted lieutenant of Jim McLean. However, their paths crossed when McInally moved into management himself.
“I had Walter as a coach when I was with Scotland, when we won the European Youth Championships,” he said. “Walter was the assistant manager and I was lucky to have him at the World Youth Cup.
“I was fortunate enough to know him, through coming up against him. When I was Raith Rovers assistant manager, he would come in after games, sit with you.
“I remember they were going for eight-in-a-row and they’d narrowly beat us at Stark’s Park. He came in and sat with us and couldn’t praise our team enough.
“When I went to Morton, he got Kenny McDowall to phone me a couple of times to bring a team to play them at Murray Park.
“He was a lovely man and, forgetting football, for me that speaks volumes. If you want to be remembered in life, it’s good to be remembered as a good human being, that lives for their family and has a lot of humility.
“That’s what he had in abundance.”
Smith won 21 trophies during two spells as manager of Rangers, steered Everton through a difficult period in their history, as well as restoring respectability to the Scottish national team after a turbulent spell under Berti Vogts.
His impact at Tannadice has never been forgotten, particularly with the role he played in developing stalwarts of Scottish football.
“What people forget is Jim McLean never retired him as a player,” added McInally. “He used to play against us in the reserves; he couldn’t run and you would tell someone to try run him, but he was such a clever player.
“He admitted as he got older, he got a better player. He knew how to position himself. He probably continued that into his managerial career and Jim McLean used him brilliantly, to bring young players on.
“Maurice Malpas, Richard Gough, what an influence he had on these guys. They could have played for anybody in the world.”