| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gary Thompson Gillespie[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1960-07-05)5 July 1960 (age 65) | ||
| Place of birth | Stirling, Scotland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1977–1978 | Falkirk | 22 | (0) |
| 1978–1983 | Coventry City | 172 | (6) |
| 1983–1991 | Liverpool | 156 | (14) |
| 1991–1994 | Celtic | 69 | (2) |
| 1994–1997 | Coventry City | 3 | (0) |
| Total | 422 | (22) | |
| International career | |||
| 1978–1982 | Scotland Under-21[3] | 8 | (1) |
| 1987–1990 | Scotland | 13 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gary Thompson Gillespie (born 5 July 1960) is a Scottish former professional footballcentre-back who played forFalkirk,Coventry City,Liverpool,Celtic and theScotland national team.
Gillespie started his career withFalkirk, andcaptained them at 17 years of age which set a Scottish record.[citation needed]
Coventry City signed Gillespie in 1978 for an initial transfer fee of £40,000, rising to £75,000 on appearances.[citation needed]
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Gillespie signed forLiverpool in 1983.
His three goals in that double winning season all came in the same game.Hat-tricks are rare for defenders, but Gillespie managed one againstBirmingham City on 26 April 1986 at Anfield when he scored twice from open play and completed the threesome with a penalty, after the Liverpool fans chanted his name when it was awarded – normally he would not have taken it. Liverpool won the game 5–0 against an already relegated side, as they moved closer to the title, which was sealed on the final day of the season with a 1–0 win atChelsea.
By 1988, when he partneredAlan Hansen in all but five of Liverpool's games in the league, the Anfield club were a cut above every other side, losing just twice and coasting to the title. In April 1989, Gillespie joined his teammates in mourning the deaths of Liverpool fans at theHillsborough disaster, during a year in which he again was a regular feature in the team. This time fortunes were reversed – Liverpool won the FA Cup with an emotional victory overMerseyside rivalsEverton, but lost the League title toArsenal with almost the last kick ofthe season. Gillespie missed that game, however.
In1990–91, with the absence and eventual retirement of Hansen due to injury, Gillespie was once again a regular in the centre of the Liverpool defence. He played 30 league games and scored once, remaining a regular player after the resignation ofKenny Dalglish in February 1991 and the arrival ofGraeme Souness as manager.
Following the arrival ofMark Wright at Liverpool during the close season, Gillespie was transferred to Scottish clubCeltic for £925,000 on 15 August 1991. He was among managerLiam Brady's first signings for theParkhead club, who were being left behind by local rivalsRangers who had been champions for the previous three seasons.[4]
Gillespie scored a goal on his debut for Celtic on 17 August 1991, in a 4–1 league win over his former side Falkirk at Parkhead. He made 69 league appearances for Celtic over three years, scoring twice, but was unable to win any silverware.
Soon after the appointment ofTommy Burns as Celtic manager in1994, it became apparent that Gillespie was not part of the new manager's plans. On 23 August 1994 he returned to Coventry City on a free transfer, making threePremier League appearances during the1994–95 season. However, he played just threeFA Premier League games before a knee injury struck him down, and he finally retired from playing in 1997 after more than two years out of action.[5]
Gillespie won 13caps forScotland.Andy Roxburgh gave him his debut on 14 October 1987 in the 2–0UEFA European Championship qualifier victory overBelgium atHampden Park. He was selected for the squad that went to the1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, but his only appearance came on 20 June againstBrazil at theStadio delle AlpiTurin, a game the Scots lost 1–0. They failed to progress past the group stages.
Individual
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