Maurice Malpas

Lore & Background

Malpas made his debut for Dundee United in 1981 and won the Scottish Football League Premier Division title in 1983. He captained the club to Scottish Cup victory in 1994. He also played in five Scottish Cup finals in nine years. Malpas won the SFWA Footballer of the Year award in 1991. He earned 55 caps for Scotland, appearing at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups and at Euro 1992.

In Their Own Story

Maurice Malpas wiped mud from his light blue jersey, looking toward the touchline where he was also expected to direct play. The crowd roared as he received a pass near the edge of the box. With one touch, he squared it for a teammate, but when the cross came back, he stepped in with cold precision. The net rippled. He didn't celebrate wildly; instead, he pointed to his watch and gestured to his defenders to push up. A leader on and off the pitch.

Reader's Guide

Malpas began a coaching career in 1991 whilst still a Dundee United player, continuing as a coach after his retirement until leaving the club in 2003. He joined Motherwell as assistant manager to Terry Butcher before becoming manager from 2006 until 2007. He coached the Scotland under-21 team on a temporary basis before another brief spell in club management with Swindon Town during 2008. More recently he has been assistant manager to Butcher at both Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Hibernian.

Did You Know?

• Malpas is the most recent part-time professional to have played for Scotland.
• He initially combined his football career with studying for an electrical engineering degree at Dundee College of Technology.
• His total of 830 competitive first team appearances is the second highest in Dundee United's history.
• He was inducted into the Dundee United Hall of Fame as one of its inaugural members in 2008.