"I played against him in a charity match some years ago back up at Firhill. I reckoned I matched him for speed, but that was about it. He was just so tricky he tied me up in knots!”
"Apart from his footballing ability which was second to none he was also one of the most down to earth guys you could wish to meet."
"I do feel a little bit frustrated that these good and exciting times at Ibrox have come a little too late for me. But against that frustration is the realism that I have enjoyed a marvelous career that others would give their right arm for so I can’t be greedy."
“I always believed that Davie cooper was a more naturally gifted player than even the great Kenny Dalglish. And that is high praise."
“…his nickname ‘Albert’ which stemmed from the Coronation street character Albert Tatlock who was always moaning. I could tell if Coop was going to have a good game if he came into Ibrox and was moaning even more than usual!”
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“I well remember big Roy Aitken trying to kick him up and down the park once but all Coop did was dance clear and continue to set up mayhem.”
“He wasn’t the quickest in terms of pace but he was the quickest thinker I’ve ever seen. He saw things so much earlier than anyone else.”
“This country doesn’t unearth all that many genuinely world-class stars, but Coop came into that category without a shadow of a doubt.”
“He was always a tremendous player for this club but when Graeme Souness and I moved into Ibrox he was transformed. There is no doubt in my mind that was because he was surrounded by better players.”
“Davie’s pet hates were referees and coaches which meant I got my fair share of stick because I referred some training games and I also did a lot of the coaching!”
“He has to be the most talented footballer we’ve ever had at Clydebank.”
“Over the years I also saw him mature as a person and from being an introvert he became quiet an extrovert.”
“The legs had gone a bit but nine minutes of Coop was like 90 from someone else.”
“Davie had sweet talked Mary, our kitchen lady, into letting him use the phone to put a line on at the bookies.”
“When I later moved to the continent to pursue my career I saw lots of fine players with marvelous talent. But none better than Davie.”
“Even now I find it difficult to believe he’s gone. We were friends and teammates for a long time and his death had an enormous effect on me.”
Excerpt from Sky Sports Interview on the eve of Scotland v Holland, November, 2003
I read somewhere that in a Dutch interview you said that Davie Cooper was the most skilful player you have ever played against. Was that true?
Ruud: Oh yeah! That was a great player. A left-sided genius for Glasgow Rangers. He was such a great player - truly gifted.
Did you play against him many times?
Ruud: I played against him, yes. I played against him once when I was playing for Feyenoord in a friendly match at Ibrox - I remember it well. I saw this player and ever since then I have been following him from then on. What a gifted player he was...he was a real talent and had a gift alright. Wow, a great player.
“There was no point whatsoever in trying to teach tactics to Davie because, apart from anything else, he wasn't really interested…You didn't need to anyway, because it took just a few seconds of magic from him and a game could be turned on it's head..”
“He didn’t want people to think he had gone out to graze at Fir Park and the fact that he helped us win the Scottish cup left him believing that he had proved his point.”
“Davie could have made a fortune by moving down south but he resisted the temptation because he was a Rangers man through and through.”
“From a playing point of view there is no doubt in my mind that he was one of Europe’s greatest players.”
“…it turned out to be a gay bar and as soon as we realised there was something fishy about it we were off. I actually think that was as fast as I ever saw him move!”
“His goal in the Drybrough cup against Celtic was one in a lifetime and it overshadowed me because I scored one of my best goals that day and it hardly got a mention!”
“He had no airs and graces, no big ideas about himself, no belief that he was better than anyone else and that was proved time and again.”
"He was second to none in terms of delivery of the ball, and I’d rate him better than David Beckham in terms of free-kicks and corners. He was a magnificent talent and a wonderful character. He could moan for Scotland, right enough, but was basically a lovely lad. I still miss him terribly."
"Davie would hug the left touchline. He was the best ball player and wide man I've ever seen. He wasn't fast; he'd just get past defenders with an amazing change of direction. He was also a superb passer of the ball and his crossing was second to none."
In August 2007, we contacted Manchester United to ask if Sir Alex Ferguson would be willing to contribute a few words about Davie Cooper. He kindly agreed and took time out to write this fitting tribute:
I had the pleasure of managing Davie firstly as assistant to Jock Stein then after Jock's untimely death v Wales at Cardiff when Davie scored the penalty which took us to the World Cup Finals in Mexico, and then as Manager in Mexico.
I also watched Davie as a young schoolboy playing for Scottish Juveniles at Brockville Park Falkirk and realised what a great potential he had. His career after that was of course excellent starting at Clydebank then to Rangers and finally Motherwell. He was a player of sublime skill and balance capable of opening up any defence plus he had a wicked left foot. In my experience in working with players it is always a pleasure when you are dealing with good types - players of stable character and good personality of which Davie enters that category. It was a terrible shock when he died suddenly at such a young age but even after such a long period since he passed away his memory has not ended and that is as good a testimony as you would wish for.
