Having played with and against Davie Cooper, as well as coaching him on his Clydebank return at the end of 1993, Tony Gervaise knows all about the legendary winger — and as he recalls this encounter, he gives the impression that he preferred to have him on his side.

Gervaise was signed by Clydebank in 1977, a few months before Cooper completed his move to Rangers for a fee of £100,000. Even in that short time the left back knew he was in the presence of a special talent.

He said: “I was only at Clydebank a few months when Davie left. It was always going to happen, Rangers was probably the only team he would’ve went to because Davie was a home bird.

“The ability he had was phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal, I don’t know if genius is too strong but he was absolutely superb.” Gervaise was at Bankies for seven years before moving to Hamilton Accies, he went on to have stints at Queen of the South and Stranraer.

He currently works as a coach in Ayr United’s youth academy. A path he started out on after his playing career finished, and brought him back to Clydebank in a coaching capacity to help Brian Wright who was in charge of the first team at the time, assisted by player/coach Ken Eadie.

The return of the winger who had dazzled Kilbowie in the 70s was a momentous occasion for Clydebank fans. His stature was elevated after a glittering career with Rangers, Motherwell and Scotland — despite the fanfare and his iconic status, upon his return Gervaise remembers the same down-to-earth and humble man he first encountered in 1977.

He added: “I had the priveldge of playing with him, playing against him and coaching him when he came back to Clydebank.

“When you think about the talent Cooper had and the commercialism in the game now, he should’ve been selling everything from baked beans to Rolls Royces, because he was a good looking boy too.

“When he came back he was good company, a nice guy who kept himself to himself, a private person I would say.

“It meant everything to the club when he came back to where it all started for him.

“It just showed you the respect and the feeling he had for the club because probably at that time Davie could’ve went to a higher level club and made a few bob. But this was him giving back because Clydebank had sent him on his way.”