Remembering Aberdeen's iconic Gothenburg Great Neale Cooper

He was an ever-present player in Sir Alex Ferguson's team of the 1980s, and tasted success on plenty of occasions in the red of Aberdeen.

Neale Cooper was one of the names everyone remembers when you reel off the Gothenburg Greats that downed Real Madrid, and was part of the Dons team that showed the Old Firm there was more to Scottish football than just Celtic and Rangers.

He won two titles with Aberdeen, as well as four Scottish Cups, and one Scottish League Cup, with his greatest success coming that night in Sweden in 1983.

Cooper's story begins well away from the granite surroundings of Aberdeen however. Born in Darjeeling in India in the West Bengal region on November 24, 1963, he moved to the Granite City as a young boy with a dream of playing football.

He attended Airyhall Primary School and Hazlehead Academy in Aberdeen, and as he grew older, so did his love for his local team, and eventually he ended up joining the senior squad at the Dons.

It was quite a time to break into the side, as the wheels of the machine operated by Sir Alex were finally starting to turn with purpose, as the Dons mounted a title challenge and looked to topple the duopoly of Celtic and Rangers.

Cooper formed a part of the side during 1981, and no one could have predicted just how vital he would become.

The midfielder became a regular during the 1981/82 season, and at the climax of his first season, the Scottish Cup came back to Aberdeen when they beat Rangers to the trophy.

120 minutes were required that afternoon as the game finished 1-1 at full-time, but Neale's input wouldn't end there, as he scored the fourth goal for the Dons deep into extra-time.

His goal killed the game off for Rangers, and so started an era of glory with Aberdeen, with that finish still described as one of the greatest in Scottish Cup history.

Neale would go on to win the cup three more times, with a win the following season again against Rangers in the final, and then over Celtic in 1983/84.

Hearts would be the fourth team that would fall to the Cooper and Co in the Scottish Cup in 1985/86, and in the meantime, Aberdeen's cup dominance was stretching to other competitions.

Cooper helped topple Hibs in his sole Scottish League Cup success, bagging an Edinburgh double to ensure his career would include every domestic honour in Scotland.

Join our Aberdeen FC Facebook group for all the latest Dons news

Arguably, the biggest success Cooper played a part in on Scottish soil during the era Aberdeen's stranglehold tightened on cup competitions was when the club beat Celtic to the Scottish Premier Division titles in 1983/84 and 1984/85.

It was sensational time to be a Dons fan, and it produced a seismic shift in power to Pittodrie. And at the heart of it in the midfield, was Cooper.

His exploits with the Dons stretched into Europe, and sure enough he was there when his talents were needed. Neale played against Real Madrid on that night in Gothenburg, and lasted the full 120 minutes that secured the European Cup Winner's Cup.

He missed the second leg of the 1983 European Super Cup win over Hamburg after playing at right-back for the first leg stalemate.

One of the standout stories from his time at Aberdeen came when he lived in a flat in the city as a youngster.

Sir Alex managed to convince Neale to move home with his mum to dodge the temptations of youthful independence in the hope it could benefit his career.

Sure enough, the sound advice of Ferguson did its trick, and Cooper flourished under the Govan-born gaffer before switching to Aston Villa in 1986.

His career came to an end as a player when he ran out five times for Ross County after playing for Rangers, Reading, and Dunfermline Athletic.

A second spell at Aberdeen in the 1990s never saw Neale step out at Pittodrie as a player. When he joined Ross County though, Neale's heroics came from the dugout.

His efforts as manager kick-started the Staggies' return to Scotland's top flight, with the club climbing from the fourth tier to the second under his watch.

Eventually his spell came to an end after a run of one win in eleven games, but promotion to the top flight was achieved in 2000 when a third-placed finish did enough to promote the Dingwall outfit.

Take out Neale's stint in charge with two promotions, and who knows where County would have ended up. He was a proven winner, with his time in charge of Hartlepool United often described as one of the most exciting in their club's history.

A spell of back-and-forth managerial moves followed after stints with Gillingham and Peterhead came to an end.

Cooper returned to Hartlepool, but failed to match the achievements of his first run, and then eventually he returned to Ross County in 2012.

He was named assistant manager under Derek Adams at that time, but again, there was no matching of the success seen first time around, and he left in 2014.

Tragically, Neale died in 2018 after a night out with pals at the McNasty's pub in Aberdeen, his favourite spot in the city for a beverage with his closest friends.

He returned to his flat in Bucksburn, but was found dead at the bottom of the stairwell after a tragic accident.

Neale's death sent shockwaves through the Dons support, and through Scottish football, as a Gothenburg great had gone far too soon at just 54-years-old.

Speaking at an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Cup Winners' Cup glory last year, the man who scored the winning goal that night - John Hewitt - paid an emotional tribute to his late teammate and friend Cooper.

He said: "He should be here, because he was such a huge part of the dressing room and put a smile on everybody's face. He would make everyone laugh within 10 seconds and was such an infectious character who was the life and soul of the party.

"Every group should have a Neale Cooper, and we were so fortunate and blessed to have him as our friend and colleague on the pitch."

He was, like many of Ferguson's players, a hero for Aberdeen, and one that will forever be remembered by Dons fans as Tattie. A true great of the game, and one that is still sorely missed.

Sign up to our Aberdeen F.C newsletter to get the latest headlines, transfer news and more sent to your inbox