Terry McDermott

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

McDermott joined Bury as a youngster in 1969, making 90 appearances and scoring eight goals before joining Newcastle United in 1973. He made his Newcastle debut on 17 March 1973 at Old Trafford against Manchester United, coming off the bench in a 2–1 loss. He reached the FA Cup final in 1974 with Newcastle, losing 3–0 to Liverpool. Liverpool boss Bob Paisley brought McDermott to Merseyside in November 1974. He made his Liverpool debut on 16 November, as did Phil Neal, in a Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park, which ended 0–0. His first goal came in a 1–1 league draw with Burnley at Turf Moor on 8 March 1975. Liverpool won the League championship and the UEFA Cup in 1975–76, but McDermott did not play in enough matches to pick up a League medal, although he was in the squad which won in Europe. He became an integral part of the 1976–77 side that retained the title. His goal against Everton in the semi-final of the FA Cup, a turn and chip from the edge of the penalty area, was voted the "Goal of the Season" by the BBC. Liverpool reached the finals of both the FA Cup and European Cup in May 1977; they lost the FA Cup final to Manchester United, but McDermott opened the scoring in the European Cup final against Borussia Mönchengladbach as Liverpool won 3–1. On 6 December 1977, he scored a hat-trick in the second leg of Liverpool's UEFA Super Cup Final victory over Hamburg. In the 1978 League Cup final against Nottingham Forest, the first game at Wembley ended goalless, with McDermott having a goal disallowed after officials decided Kenny Dalglish was offside. In the replay at Old Trafford, after Forest scored from a disputed penalty, McDermott scored what he thought was the equaliser, but officials denied him again, claiming he had controlled the pass with his arm; Forest won 1–0. Liverpool retained the European Cup with a 1–0 win over Club Brugge at Wembley. The following season, McDermott scored a memorable goal against Tottenham Hotspur on 2 September 1978 at Anfield, heading home after a 70-yard run in a 7–0 win. By the end of that season, Liverpool were champions again, and they retained the title in 1980, with McDermott being voted the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year—the first player to win both awards in the same season. He scored another memorable goal against Tottenham that season in the FA Cup at White H

In Their Own Story

On 2 September 1978, a goal was born that remains etched in Liverpool folklore. Defending a corner at Anfield against Tottenham Hotspur, the ball cleared to David Johnson, who launched a long pass to Steve Heighway on the left flank. McDermott began his sprint forward immediately. Within seconds, Heighway raced down the line and crossed without stopping, allowing McDermott to head home after covering 70 yards in a single burst of speed. This strike sealed a 7–0 victory. Another defining moment came on 6 December 1977, when he scored a hat-trick in the second leg of the UEFA Super Cup Final against Hamburg. However, his time at Liverpool also saw him suffer a cruel injustice in the 1978 League Cup final replay; after Forest opened the scoring with a disputed penalty, McDermott struck what he believed was an equaliser, only for officials to disallow it, claiming he had used his arm. He offered to swear on oath afterwards that he trapped the ball legally with his chest.

Reader's Guide

McDermott made his England debut on 7 September 1977 in a 0–0 friendly draw with Switzerland at Wembley. He scored his first England goals on 10 September 1980 during a World Cup qualifier against Norway at Wembley, scoring twice including a penalty in a 4–0 win. He was selected for the England squad for the 1980 European Championships in Italy, playing in two group games. He was also picked for the 1982 FIFA World Cup squad in Spain but did not play, despite featuring in every qualifying game. He never played for England again. In his England career, he earned 25 senior caps and scored three goals. In coaching, when Kevin Keegan became manager of Newcastle on 5 February 1992, he recruited McDermott as first team coach. They masterminded Newcastle's return to the top of English football, including a close run to the League title in 1996. After Keegan resigned, McDermott stayed for a further season under Kenny Dalglish, then left when Dalglish resigned and Ruud Gullit brought in his own coach. When John Barnes was appointed head coach of Celtic on 8 June 1999, McDermott became assistant head coach alongside Eric Black; they were all sacked following a Scottish Cup defeat by Inverness Caledonian Thistle in February 2000. In 2005, McDermott returned to Newcastle after being recruited by manager Graeme Souness as a coach. After Souness was sacked in February 2006, McDermott stayed on under managers Glenn Roeder, Sam Allardyce, and Keegan once again. When Keegan quit in September 2008, McDermott also left, along with Adam Sadler. On 19 December 2008, he was named assistant manager of League One side Huddersfield Town, becoming Lee Clark's right-hand man. Following Clark's sacking in February 2012, McDermott was also sacked. In June 2012, he joined Birmingham City as Clark's assistant. On 17 February 2014, it was widely reported that he and first-team coach Derek Fazackerley had left Birmingham; this was later confirmed by the club.

Did You Know?

• McDermott's sons Neale and Greg also played football, formerly on the books of Gateshead.
• He was head of a consortium, which also included ex-Newcastle player Alan Shearer, that owned several racehorses, including Intersky Falcon.