Mark Hateley

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Hateley was born in Derby on 7 November 1961. His father, Tony, was also a professional footballer who played as a striker for clubs such as Notts County, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool and Coventry City. Hateley trained with Nottingham Forest whilst still at school; however, he was rejected by then-manager Brian Clough, who did not believe he was sufficiently talented. Upon leaving school, he joined Coventry City and started his career in professional football, playing over 90 games in the First Division before moving to Portsmouth in the Second Division in the summer of 1983. He scored 22 league goals for them in the 1983–84 season. On 28 June 1984, he was transferred to AC Milan for £1 million. He scored a decisive and historic match-winning headed goal in a 2–1 win against Inter in the Milan Derby on 28 October 1984; this was the first time Milan had defeated Inter in the Derby in six years. Arsène Wenger then brought Hateley to AS Monaco, his first signing for the club, in 1987 and he was part of the team which won the French Division 1 title in the 1987–88 season. Ayrton Senna lived in the apartment below him, and Boris Becker lived next door, during part of his time in Monaco. Senna played five-a-side football with Hateley. After three years at Monaco, at the age of 28, Hateley returned to Britain in a £1 million move to Rangers on 19 July 1990, taking an 80% wage reduction compared to his pay at Milan. Manager Graeme Souness had attempted to bring him to Ibrox three years earlier from Milan. Hateley became a key part of the Rangers side, and was voted player of the year by the Scottish Football Writers in the 1993–94 season. He scored 112 goals for the Gers in all competitions, including two that clinched the championship on the final day in 1991 and one in each of the narrow Scottish Cup final victories in 1992 and 1993. Rangers were league champions in every season that Hateley played for them (scoring 85 Scottish Premier Division goals in the process), as they went on a run of nine successive titles, which lasted from 1989 until 1997. Regarding his strike partnership at Rangers with Ally McCoist, Hateley said: 'Alistair was the perfect partner for me. As a finisher, he was an unbelievable goal scorer. It was a great partnership.' In the 1992–93 season, Rangers scored 97 goals. McCoist won the European Golden Boot, with 49 of them, and Hateley sco

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Hateley at Rangers is one of sustained excellence punctuated by a dramatic, brief return. After establishing himself as a key player and winning titles every season he played, he left for Queens Park Rangers in November 1995 following knee and ankle operations, a move he later admitted was an 'emotional decision' made too soon. However, the story took a sharp turn in early 1997 when manager Walter Smith re-signed him for £300,000 to fill a striker vacancy during the run-in for the ninth consecutive title. Hateley played four times in this second spell, scoring once, but his return ended abruptly in the vital Old Firm match against Celtic where he was sent off for headbutting Stewart Kerr after Rangers won 1–0. Despite the red card, his overall legacy remained strong; by 1999 he was named to Rangers' greatest-ever team and later inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2003.

Reader's Guide

A traditional target man, Hateley was a physical centre-forward who was known in particular for his strength in the air and ability to score goals with his head.

Did You Know?

• Hateley scored a decisive match-winning headed goal in a 2–1 win against Inter in the Milan Derby on 28 October 1984, the first time Milan had defeated Inter in the Derby in six years.
• Ayrton Senna lived in the apartment below him, and Boris Becker lived next door, during part of his time in Monaco.
• Hateley took an 80% wage reduction when he moved from Monaco to Rangers in 1990.
• He was sent off for headbutting Stewart Kerr on his second debut for Rangers in 1997.
• Hateley's son Tom, born in Monaco during his father's spell at AS Monaco, is also a footballer.