An interview with Mark Walters, by Callum McFadden for WFi.
You began your professional career at Aston Villa and were there during an incredible period in the club’s history. How do you reflect on your time at Villa?
“It was an amazing time. I lived about 500 metres from the stadium and grew up around the ground. I used to walk to matches, even when I made my debut, so the club has always been very close to my heart.
“To be involved in what turned out to be one of the most special periods in the club’s history was something I was incredibly proud of.
“Perhaps I became a little complacent and assumed it was normal to be part of a team that won the league, went on to win the European Cup and then lifted the Super Cup. All of that happened during my first three years as a professional.
“I thought that was simply how football worked, but three or four seasons later, I realised it wasn’t normal when the club were relegated. It was a bittersweet experience.
“Nevertheless, to be involved with a club I had supported since I was nine or ten years old was incredibly special.”
As a Villa fan, what was it like to score goals in front of the Holte End?
“Every time that I played at Villa Park was a special time for me. My family were very proud, too, and they came to watch me play on several occasions.
“Scoring at the Holte End was the stuff of dreams when I think back to being a young boy.
“My mother, in particular, was instrumental in helping me get to Aston Villa in the first place, never mind playing for the club. It was a very proud period for both myself and my family.”
Your move to Rangers followed, at a time when several high-profile players, including yourself, Terry Butcher, Trevor Steven, Chris Woods and Ray Wilkins, were moving to Scotland. What attracted you to Rangers, and how important was the opportunity to work with Graeme Souness?
“Working with Graeme was obviously a bonus. The move was also an opportunity to progress my career, which had reached something of a stalemate.
“The first few years at Aston Villa had been fantastic, but unfortunately, the chairman decided to break up the team. We had a very successful youth side, probably one of the best in Britain at the time, but a lot of us ended up being used in the First Division, as it was then known.
“It is difficult for young players to maintain consistency, and we struggled before eventually being relegated in the 1985-86 season.
“Moving to Rangers was a special opportunity. English clubs had been banned from European competition following the Heysel disaster, and Rangers represented one of the best opportunities available to me. Everton, who had won the league that season, were also interested, and I spoke to a few clubs.
“However, when I travelled to Glasgow, I met Graeme Souness at the airport, and he took me to the club. I had never been there before or played at Ibrox, but once you walked through those marble halls and up the staircase, you were immediately hooked.
“I had practically made up my mind before I even knew it. It was a special club, with magnificent surroundings and a fantastic pitch.
“The opportunity to play in European competition was another major attraction because that was something I had grown up experiencing at Aston Villa. In my mind, Rangers were the club for me.”
You enjoyed considerable domestic success in Scotland, winning multiple league titles and League Cups. How rewarding was it to be part of such a successful team and contribute to that success?
“Every boy dreams of winning trophies and being part of a successful team. To be able to contribute to that success was incredibly special.
“Winning together also creates a real sense of camaraderie. I used to disagree with friends and colleagues who said you needed to go out drinking together to build team spirit. I’m sure that doesn’t do any harm, but I believe genuine camaraderie is developed on the football pitch.
“It comes from winning matches together, supporting your teammates when they are in difficulty and working for one another. That was what we had at Rangers, and I believe it was one of the reasons we were so successful.
“Graeme assembled a group of excellent characters who were hard-working and mentally strong. In my opinion, those qualities were fundamental to our success.”
Who were the biggest characters in that dressing room at Ibrox?
“Terry Butcher stands out because he was so vocal. As captain, he was constantly talking, encouraging the lads and getting everybody going.
“Richard Gough was another important figure who led by example. He covered every blade of grass and gave everything on the pitch.
“We also had outstanding finishers, including Ally McCoist and, later, Mo Johnston and Mark Hateley. Chris Woods was magnificent in goal, too. Everybody contributed something, and that was one of the reasons we had such a strong team spirit.
“Off the pitch, we had some great characters as well. Ian Durrant and Derek Ferguson were genuinely funny lads who brought a lot to the dressing room.
“They were the sort of people you wanted around when things weren’t going well, as well as when you were winning. Everybody contributed at different stages, and it was a fantastic time to be at the club and win so many trophies.”
Despite the fact that you played for Rangers in the late 1980s and early 1990s, you remain highly regarded by the supporters to this day. How much does that mean to you?
“Once you have played for Rangers, it is almost like having a prefix before your name. You are Mark Walters, the former Glasgow Rangers player.
“When you pull on that shirt, you never forget it. Even after I left, Rangers were always the first result I looked for to see how they were doing.
“It broke my heart when they were demoted down the leagues. In my opinion, what happened was unfair, but it is great to see them back competing again.
“Hopefully, they can win another title. It has been a difficult few years for the club, but perhaps they have now turned a corner.
“They appear to have a manager in Derek McInnes who understands the club, and hopefully they can make a real challenge this season. At the very least, I want to see them competing, and ideally, I would love to see them win the title again.”
After Rangers, you had the opportunity to join another massive club in Liverpool. What was that like, and how do you reflect on your time at Anfield?
“It was another fantastic opportunity for me.
“I had not quite established myself in the England team, and the national manager at the time, Graham Taylor, explained that players competing in England had an advantage because he was watching them regularly.
“That was something I considered when making my decision because I was happy at Rangers. The chairman even told me I might regret leaving, but it was a decision I had to make.
“I have no regrets about making the move, although we didn’t win the league, which is what Liverpool are ultimately judged on.
“We were fortunate enough to win the FA Cup and League Cup, but at Liverpool, winning the league is the ultimate measure of success. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to achieve that.”
You played alongside Ian Rush and witnessed young players such as Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler coming through. What was it like playing with Rush compared with the younger generation emerging at Liverpool?
“Ian Rush was one of the best to ever do it. He was a fantastic finisher, but he also worked incredibly hard when we didn’t have the ball. He was a great example for any young footballer.
“There were some world-class players at Liverpool, but unfortunately, it was a transitional period for the club. There were a lot of changes and plenty of young players coming into the side, and we struggled to find consistency.
“Perhaps we could have challenged for the league if we had managed to establish that consistency, but we didn’t get there and ultimately failed to win the title.
“Some fantastic young players such as McManaman and Fowler were coming through, and they went on to enjoy great careers themselves. In my opinion, there were simply too many changes happening too quickly, which made it difficult for the team to settle.
“Even I found it difficult to achieve consistency in those circumstances.
“Despite that, there were some wonderful people at Liverpool. I still go up there and see old friends I played alongside, as well as people I knew from my time at the club without actually playing with them.
“It remains a fantastic club and one of the most successful in Britain.”
You have spoken about some frustration surrounding your England career, but you still earned a full international cap, which is something many players dream of. How do you look back on that achievement?
“Absolutely. In my opinion, there were players better than me who never even played for England. That shows how difficult it was to break into the team at the time.
“Managers have their favourites, which is understandable, but unfortunately, I couldn’t establish myself in the side. I only played once, but I am very proud of that achievement.
“Being able to say I played for England, alongside Aston Villa, Rangers and Liverpool, is fantastic.
“What makes it even more unusual is that I represented England at every level, from schoolboy football right through to the senior team. Not many players can say they have done that, so I am proud of that, too.
“Of course, I would have loved to win more caps, but I got one, and that will always mean a great deal to me.
“As my mother used to say, one is better than none. I would have preferred 100, but I am grateful for the one I received.”
Your autobiography, Winging It, is now available in paperback. How proud were you to tell your story, particularly given the remarkable journey you have had throughout your career?
“I was very proud of the book. It was cathartic for me because there were things I had kept bottled up, if I’m honest, so it was good to get them off my chest.
“The publishers decided to re-release it, and they didn’t really ask me beforehand; they simply said they wanted to do it. I can only assume that was because the book had been popular.
“It also gives me another opportunity to promote it properly. When it was originally released, my mother wasn’t in the best of health, and there were other things happening in my life, so I couldn’t give it my full attention. This time, I should be able to devote more time to it over the next few months.”
Finally, Mark, since retiring from playing, you have remained involved in football through coaching and other projects. You also featured in the BBC Scotland documentary In the Footsteps of Andrew Watson, which was very well received.
How do you reflect on your career after football?
“I really enjoyed making the documentary about Andrew Watson, and I would have loved to take the project further. Unfortunately, nothing else has come of it so far, but it was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed.
“Coaching can be like any other industry in that it often comes down to who you know. I know players who wanted to move into coaching but struggled to get opportunities, and I found it difficult myself. I attended numerous interviews but never managed to secure the opportunities I wanted.
“Fortunately, I had built up a property business alongside my football career. When I realised that coaching probably wasn’t going to work out for me, I decided to put more of my energy into property.
“I now manage several properties, which I try to organise and maintain myself. It keeps me busy and gives me something to focus on.
“I also do hospitality work for Aston Villa, Liverpool and some of my other former clubs.
“I’d love to get more opportunities to be involved with Rangers as well. I spoke to one of the directors in Nashville, Tennessee, during the summer about the World Cup, and he mentioned the possibility of inviting me up to Ibrox to get involved in something with the club.
“We’re now in October, and I’m still waiting to hear back, but hopefully something can come of it. It would be fantastic to spend some more time at the club again.
“That’s how I keep myself occupied these days. I look after my properties, do some hospitality work for my former clubs and try to stay busy.”
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