A Soar One For Mel

However, for Mel Sterland it’s all about Aeroplane Saturday, his glorious moment in the sun in an all-too-brief spell 31 years ago.

The affable Yorkshiremen still flushes with pride at playing a key role in what was the beginning of arguably the greatest period in the club’s history.

However, it still frustrates him to this day that he was unable to spend a concerted period of his career at Ibrox.

He signed for four years but barely managed four months as Graeme Souness sold Sterland back to English football in that ruthless, business-like way of his.

In saying that Sterland, who had joined from Sheffield Wednesday, went on to enjoy fantastic period in North Yorkshire with a brilliant Leeds United team.

He is one of the few men to have won league titles on both sides of the border and for that he is extremely proud.

Indeed, his arms-stretched-out celebrations after two goals in the 4-0 victory over Hearts that cinched the title is one of the lasting images of an astonishing campaign that included 5-1 and 4-1 home wins over Celtic and a first win at Parkhead in nine years.

Now nearly 59, the big chap is still actively involved with Wednesday and Leeds, both of whom are desperate to get out of the Championship and back to the big time.

And he still casts his eye over what’s happening at Ibrox, especially as his former Elland Road teammate Gary McAllister is a key part of Steven Gerrard’s management team.

“Is it 30 years? Bloody hell, I can’t believe it’s that long,” said Sterland. “Rangers was an amazing experience and it was just a shame that it didn’t last for longer.

“It was all new to me back then. I’d been at Sheffield Wednesday my entire career, so it was a big change.

“I say to people all the time that no football rivalry anywhere in Britain compares to Rangers and Celtic. You can talk about all the big derbies but for me the Old Firm is by far the biggest.

“I had put a transfer request in at Sheffield Wednesday and I found out Rangers were interested and then it just snowballed. It was a fantastic move for me and I wanted to play in Europe but, unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance.

“I loved it up there and I was so disappointed when Souness sold me and I couldn’t stay for longer. He was quite ruthless in these days. He would get players in and then move them on.”

Sterland had spent all of his career at Hillsborough, mostly as a swash-buckling right-back, and scored 49 goals in nearly 350 appearances.

He skippered the side, won promotion and became the first Owl to be capped by England in nearly 20 years when he played against Saudi Arabia in 1988.

He said: “I was straight from school into Sheffield Wednesday as an apprentice and I spent 11 years there. I became captain and we won promotion back to the top flight.

“I remember speaking to Colin West and he told me to go and sign for Rangers because it was fantastic club. He wasn’t wrong.”

Souness wanted that extra bit of drive in his side for the final phase of the season and deployed Sterland on the right side of midfield.

The Yorkshireman quickly found out the way of life at Ibrox but also settled very quickly by scoring on his debut, netting the second in a 3-1 win over Hamilton.

He recalled: “There were different rules at Rangers. You always had to be clean shaven and we had to wear a collar and tie to training. That was fine but I did make a mistake when I turned up in a green tie one day.

“I got a few strange looks and Ally McCoist came over to me. He said, ‘Big man, it’s maybe an idea to pick a different colour tomorrow.’

“Then I remembered that green was Celtic’s colour. I hadn’t even thought about that when I was getting dressed that morning.

“I had a good laugh with Coisty about it and there was no issue at all. It was just a lesson in life at the Old Firm.

“I was so lucky because I played with great fans all of my career – Sheffield Wednesday, Rangers and Leeds.

“I got the two goals against Hearts to win the title and that was so special.

“It was Ray Wilkins who touched a free-kick to me and I managed to put one round the wall and into the net. Then Mark Walters put the cross in and I got my head to it and we were 2-0 up.

“Kevin Drinkell got two that day as well. It was such a special day because we won the league and I feel proud that I was in at the beginning of what turned out to be Nine in a Row.

“There were some great players there at the time – the likes of Terry Butcher, Ray Wilkins, Mark Walters

“The big disappointment was losing the Scottish Cup Final. We all knew we were on the way to the treble. But a Gary Stevens’ back pass let Joe Miller in and we just came up short.”

Sterland was hoping to solidify his place for the 1989/90 season but he was on his way back to England that summer.

He said: “I had signed a four-year contract, bought a house and everything but I was told in the summer I was up for sale.

“I had an offer from Ron Atkinson to go back to Sheffield Wednesday and Trevor Francis wanted to take me to QPR. But then Howard Wilkinson came on – and I’d worked with him before at Hillsborough – and he wanted to take me to Leeds United.

“I knew he was a great manager so that was the obvious choice for me. I signed for Leeds and I never looked back. It was a great side.

“Gordon Strachan was fantastic – probably the best player I played with – what a professional. We also had Gary McAllister – another fantastic player – David Batty, Tony Dorigo and then Lee Chapman and Rod Wallace up front.”

As all Rangers fans will remember Leeds won the English title in 1992 and went on to be vanquished by the Light Blues in the Champions League both home and away.

Sadly, for Sterland he suffered a terrible ankle injury in the autumn of 1992 that effectively ended his career and he could only watch these matches from the sidelines.

However, the memories remain for a great character who has his own little place in the Nine in a Row story.