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Dave Mackay 'the William Wallace' of football, says Alan Mullery

Dave Mackay at the 2007 FA Cup final
Image: Dave Mackay at the 2007 FA Cup final

Alan Mullery hailed former Tottenham team-mate Dave Mackay – who has died at the age of 80 – as "the William Wallace of football".

Mackay was a key part of Spurs’ great 1961 double-winning team, and became captain of the club when his defensive partner Danny Blanchflower left in 1964.

England international Mullery joined Spurs from Fulham the same year and in 1967 they were in the team which won the FA Cup.

Mullery compared the Scotland international – renowed as one of the toughest men to have played the game – with Scottish rebel leader Wallace, famously portrayed by Mel Gibson in the film Braveheart. 

Mullery told Sky Sports News HQ: “He is the most influential footballer I’ve ever met, one of the bravest of all leaders. He was the William Wallace of football. He just wanted to win every game.

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Former Tottenham captain Dave Mackay has passed away at the age of 80

“He never wanted to lose if you played a five-a-side game. If you played three against three he would want to win. If you were losing 4-0 with five minutes to go he’d still think you could score five goals. He was that sort of leader.

“When he became a player up at Derby, we went up to play them. I had taken over the captaincy after he left. We shook hands and he said: 'We’re going to stuff you today.’ They beat us 5-0. I just wanted to copy things he did when I became captain. He was the best all-round footballer who has ever been born.”

One of the most famous photographs in British sport is of Mackay virtually lifting another Scottish hardman – Leeds United’s Billy Bremner – off the ground by the throat in a fiery game in 1966.

Mullery said: “That was shown throughout the world. In the space of 30 seconds of the game starting, the ball was knocked back to Dave. We had a kick-off where Cliff Jones would fly down the line and Dave would land it in the box with his left foot.

“As he went (to do so) Billy Bremner went straight over the ball. Dave grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the floor. Looks could murder you and Billy Bremner turned completely white. It’s the most famous picture ever of two footballers I think.  Both Scotsmen, both brave but… he was some man Mackay.

Former England manager Terry Venables - who played alongside Mackay and Mullery in Spurs midfield - also remembers the incident.

"Two giants together – Dave felt Billy had gone in a bit too hard and before you knew it he had his fist gripped around the top of his shirt and heading toward his throat! It almost looked  like Billy was off his feet.

I was quizzical – I thought ‘what are they doing’? as I walked toward them. But then they just dismissed it – cuddled each other and went on their way.

The photo shows something that looks like it could have been nasty – but it wasn’t.”

“I don’t think there will ever be anybody built like Dave Mackay again," Mullery added. "He was built like a tank. He had great skills, like the Messis and Ronaldos of today – but they couldn’t play in every position. He played in goal for half an hour for Scotland and never conceded. They were thinking the next time they played a game they’d play him in goal.

“He was the Roy of the Rovers of football. You couldn’t stop him – fantastic man, fantastic footballer As a manager if you didn’t play for him you were out of the door. He only wanted winners. He was a winner in everything he did.”

The Professional Footballers Association tweeted: "The PFA would like to offer our condolences to Dave Mackay's family and friends, with many thanks for his great contribution to the game."

England's 1966 World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst posted: "Sad about Dave Mackay, got to know him in Kuwait where we coached. Absolutely magnificent man and player."

Former Spurs and England striker Gary Lineker tweeted: "Sorry to hear that Dave Mackay has passed away. He was a wonderful footballer, and a winner, both North and South of the border."

Former England goalkeeper Ray Clemence added: "Sad to see that the legend that was Dave Mackay passed away last night. Great man sadly missed."

And Pat Jennings, who was in goal for Tottenham in the 1967 FA Cup final victory over Chelsea, said Mackay's loss is 'difficult to take' despite being aware of his failing health for a number of months.

Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, the former Northern Ireland goalkeeper, who spent 14 years at White Hart Lane during two spells, said: "We all knew for some time it was coming. He has been poorly but it is a terrible day.

"As a leader there was no-one to touch him. He was a born leader who led by example. There is no doubt he was one of the biggest influences on my career, and I only spent a couple of years with him at Tottenham.

"He was a winner at whatever he did and he would never ask any players to do anything he couldn't do himself... and he could do everything on the field."  

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