View source for Gary Gillespie

{{short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2013}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Gary Gillespie
| image = 
| full_name = Gary Thompson Gillespie<ref>{{Hugman|7281|access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref>
| height = 6 ft 1 in<ref>{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=222 |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5}}</ref>
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1960|7|5}}
| birth_place = [[Stirling]], Scotland
| position = [[Centre-back]]
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = 1977–1978 
| years2 = 1978–1983 
| years3 = 1983–1991 
| years4 = 1991–1994 
| years5 = 1994–1997
| clubs1 = [[Falkirk F.C.|Falkirk]] 
| clubs2 = [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]] 
| clubs3 = [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] 
| clubs4 = [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] 
| clubs5 = [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]]
| caps1 = 22   
| caps2 = 172   
| caps3 = 156  
| caps4 = 69   
| caps5 = 3   
| totalcaps = 422
| goals1 = 0  
| goals2 = 6  
| goals3 = 14  
| goals4 = 2  
| goals5 = 0 
| totalgoals = 22
| nationalyears1 = 1978–1982 
| nationalyears2 = 1987–1990
| nationalteam1 = [[Scotland national under-21 football team|Scotland Under-21]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fitbastats.com/scotlandu21/player.php?playerid=51|title = Scotland U21 Player Gary Gillespie Details}}</ref>
| nationalteam2 = [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]
| nationalcaps1 = 8  
| nationalcaps2 = 13  
| nationalgoals1 = 1  
| nationalgoals2 = 0
}}
'''Gary Thompson Gillespie''' (born 5 July 1960) is a Scottish former professional football [[centre-back]] who played for [[Falkirk F.C.|Falkirk]], [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]], [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] and the [[Scotland national football team|Scotland national team]].

==Playing career==
===Falkirk===
Gillespie started his career with [[Falkirk F.C.|Falkirk]], and [[captain (association football)|captained]] them at 17 years of age which set a Scottish record.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

===Coventry City===

[[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]] signed Gillespie in 1978 for an initial transfer fee of £40,000, rising to £75,000 on appearances.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

===Liverpool===
{{BLP unsourced section|date=February 2022}}
Gillespie signed for [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] in 1983.

His three goals in that double winning season all came in the same game. [[Hat-trick]]s are rare for defenders, but Gillespie managed one against [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham 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 at [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]].

By 1988, when he partnered [[Alan 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 the [[Hillsborough 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 over fierce [[Merseyside]] rivals [[Everton F.C.|Everton]], but lost the League title to [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] with almost the last kick of [[1988–89 in English football|the season]]. Gillespie missed that game, however.

In [[1990–91 in English football|1990–91]], 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 even after the resignation of [[Kenny Dalglish]] in February 1991 and the arrival of [[Graeme Souness]] as manager.

===Celtic===
The arrival of [[Mark Wright (footballer born 1963)|Mark Wright]] at Liverpool during the close season made it clear that Gillespie would no longer be considered a first choice defender, and he was transferred to Scottish club [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] for £925,000 on 15 August 1991. He was among manager [[Liam Brady]]'s first signings for the Bhoys, who were being left behind by local rivals [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] who had been champions for the previous three seasons.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Scotland U21 Player Gary Gillespie Details|url=https://www.fitbastats.com/scotlandu21/player.php?playerid=51|access-date=2021-08-04|website=fitbastats.com}}</ref>

His debut for the [[Glasgow]] club came on 17 August 1991, in a 4–1 league win over his former side Falkirk at [[Parkhead]]. Gillespie also managed to find the back of the net. He made 69 league appearances for the Parkhead club over three years, scoring twice, but failed to pick up any silverware. His performance was disappointing and he was not considered a good investment by Celtic's fans.

===Return to Coventry City and retirement===
Soon after the appointment of [[Tommy Burns (footballer)|Tommy Burns]] as Celtic manager in [[1994–95 in Scottish football|1994]], 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 three [[Premier League]] appearances during the [[1994–95 in English football|1994–95 season]]. However, he played just three [[FA Premier League]] games before a knee injury struck him down,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=40233|title = Football photographic encyclopedia, footballer, world cup, champions league, football championship, olympic games & hero images by sporting-heroes.net}}</ref> and he finally retired from playing in 1997 after more than two years out of action.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisanfield.com/2007/11/ex-red-gary-gillespie/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-10-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110529043907/http://www.thisisanfield.com/2007/11/ex-red-gary-gillespie/ |archive-date=29 May 2011 }}</ref>

===International===
Gillespie won 13 [[Cap (sport)|caps]] for [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]. [[Andy Roxburgh]] gave him his debut on 14 October 1987 in the 2–0 [[UEFA European Championship]] qualifier victory over [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]] at [[Hampden Park]]. He was selected for the squad that went to the [[1990 FIFA World Cup]] in Italy, but his only appearance came on 20 June against [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] at the [[Stadio delle Alpi]] [[Turin]], a game the Scots lost 1–0. They failed to progress past the group stages.

==Honours==
;Liverpool
* [[Football League First Division]]: [[1985–86 Football League First Division|1985–86]], [[1987–88 Football League First Division|1987–88]], [[1989–90 Football League First Division|1989–90]]
* [[FA Cup]]: [[1985–86 FA Cup|1985–86]], [[1988-89 FA Cup|1988-89]]
* [[FA Charity Shield]]: [[1986 FA Charity Shield|1986]] (shared),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lfchistory.net/SeasonArchive/Game/1533 |title=Liverpool 1–1 Everton  |publisher=lfchistory.net |access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref> [[1988 FA Charity Shield|1988]], [[1990 FA Charity Shield|1990]]
* [[Football League Super Cup]]: 1986
* [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]]: [[1984 European Cup Final|1983–84]]

'''Individual'''
* [[PFA Team of the Year]]: [[1987–88 Football League#First Division|1987–88 First Division]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Lynch |title=The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes |page=147}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{FIFA player|174561}}
* {{UEFA player|8883}}
* {{Twitter}}
* [http://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=306 Profile at LFCHistory.net]
* {{SFA profile|id=14369|name=Gary Gillespie}}
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=3808 Coventry City seasonal record (part 1) 1977/78-1980/81 at sporting-heroes.net]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=3809 Coventry City seasonal record (part 2) 1981/82-1982/83 at sporting-heroes.net]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=835 Liverpool seasonal record (part 1)  1983/84-1986/87 at sporting-heroes.net]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=836 Liverpool seasonal record (part 2)  1987/88-1990/91 at sporting-heroes.net]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=7789 Celtic seasonal record 1991/92-1993/94 at sporting-heroes.net]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=3810 Coventry City seasonal record (part 3) 1994/95 at sporting-heroes.net]
* {{Soccerbase}}

{{1987–88 Football League First Division PFA Team of the Year}}
{{Coventry City F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{Scotland Squad 1990 World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillespie, Gary}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Scottish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Celtic F.C. players]]
[[Category:Coventry City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Falkirk F.C. players]]
[[Category:Liverpool F.C. players]]
[[Category:1990 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:Men's association football central defenders]]
[[Category:Scotland men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Premier League players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Footballers from Stirling]]
[[Category:Scotland men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League players]]
[[Category:People educated at Graeme High School]]