David Moyes was a lucky young footballer.
The current Everton manager unusually started his career in Iceland with ÍBV before turning out for the renowned Drumchapel Amateurs.
He was then picked up by Celtic and shared a first-team dressing room for three years with some of the club’s most legendary figures.
Moyes was speaking to PLZ Soccer over the international break as he took time off away from Everton and reminisced about his Celtic days.
And he picked out five former teammates who had a profound impact on him in the early 1980s and ones who he could look up to.
Celtic player David Moyes in action during a match for Glasgow Celtic circa 1983
Photo by David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Images
Moyes hails Celtic icons Danny McGrain and Tommy Burns
Moyes told Peter Martin that former Celtic defender and stalwart Danny McGrain was the teammate who left a lasting impression.
McGrain represented the Hoops for 17 years across the 1970s and 1980s, and was a member of the Quality Street Gang that also featured Kenny Dalglish.
He was an established first-team star by the time Moyes played for Celtic, and the Everton boss shared McGrain was always one to keep him on his toes.
Moyes also mentioned Tommy Burns, another who was tough on Moyes, but wanted the best for him.
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Moyes said: “I have to say Danny McGrain was probably the one for me because Danny half looked after me at times. You know, I remember him saying to me: ‘Hey, you’ll need to do better. You need to buck up.
“Tommy Burns was always on my case, which was great because, you know, it showed he cared about you and he wanted you to do well.
“And then there was Roy (Aitken) to Packie (Bonner) to Charlie (Nicholas) and all the other boys at that time. There were all so many good players.”
McGrain and Burns are Celtic legends
Between the pair, McGrain and Burns made a staggering 1,182 appearances for Celtic, with the former in the top 10 for games played at the Hoops.
McGrain won 14 major honours at the club, which included seven league titles. He went on to work under both Wim Jansen and Neil Lennon as a coach.
Burns was such a character and is revered and missed by everyone who knew him well. He was manager of the Bhoys between 1994 and 1997, and then came back to be an assistant to Gordon Strachan.
In total, he won 18 major trophies at Celtic as a player, manager and assistant boss before sadly passing away in 2008 after treatment for cancer.