JIM Gallacher was reunited with his old Clydebank team mate Davie Cooper when the winger returned to Kilbowie as a player/coach in 1994.

And he recalls the former Rangers, Motherwell and Scotland player making a major impression on the training pitch after he came back.

The Dumbarton coach said: "Davie joined Clydebank as a player-coach and there was a wee bit of hullabloo about him returning to where it all started off for him.

"I had not long retired from playing when he came back to Kilbowie and was coaching myself. I was taking the goalies.

" I can remember one night we were practising corners in training. Davie obviously had a left foot that was like a wand so he was taking them.

"We were trying to hit the front post area because we were preparing to play a team who were very good at doing that.

"We had a couple of guys situated at the front post trying to get themselves free from the defenders so that they could attack the ball.

"Davie is out wide getting ready to take the corner. He puts his hand up and shouts out: 'Tell those two to just stand still! I'll put it on their heads!'

"We all just looked at each other and I said: 'Aye, okay!' It was the first time that had happened in training at Clydebank I can tell you!"

Gallacher felt Cooper, who tragically passed away aged just 39 after suffering a brain haemorrhage as he was filming a coaching video in 1995, could have been a success as a manager.

He said: "Davie was starting to come out of his shell at that time. He was more vocal and was putting himself about doing television work and stuff like that.

"But unfortunately he didn't have the opportunity to establish himself as a coach."