HENRIK LARSSON and Brian Laudrup are regarded by many Old Firm fans as two of the best-ever players to pull on the jersey of their respective clubs, but they only lined up against each other on a few occasions...

ISH DONAGHY (Paisley) – Did Henrik Larsson and Brian Laudrup ever line up against each other?

Larsson and Laudrup lined up against each other in four of the five Old Firm fixtures played during the 1997-98 season after Larsson’s arrival from Feyenoord.

Rangers defeated Celtic 1-0 at Ibrox in their first encounter in November 1997 thanks to a first- half goal from Richard Gough in a match in which Stephane Mahe was later sent off.

Celtic won the next encounter 2-0 in the crucial New Year fixture at Celtic Park after goals from Craig Burley and Paul Lambert.

Rangers then defeated Celtic 2-1 in a Scottish Cup semi-final in April played at Celtic Park as Hampden was being renovated.

Ally McCoist and Jorg Albertz struck for Rangers before a late consolation from Burley.

Rangers would also go on to win the final league encounter 2-0 at Ibrox one week later after goals from Jonas Thern and Albertz.

Laudrup would then depart for Chelsea, but would line up against Larsson once more in a friendly for Denmark against Sweden in May 1998.

Future Celtic stars Magnus Hedman, Johan Mjallby, Freddie Ljungberg, Marc Rieper and Morten Wieghorst also featured in the match which Sweden won 3-0.

CLOCKWORK ORANGE (Glasgow) – Apart from the former St Mirren player Kenny McDowall, who became Rangers manager, was there another player of the same name at St Mirren in the 70s? If so full details please.

Only one Kenny McDowall has played professional football in Scotland since the war and it is the Kenny McDowall whom you mention.

I suspect you’re thinking of forward Donnie McDowell, who was a fan favourite at St Mirren in the 1970s.

McDowell began his career at Sighthill Amateurs before moving to Partick Thistle in 1970.

He failed to establish himself at Thistle and subsequently became one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s first signings at St Mirren in November 1974.

He made an immediate and significant impact, scoring 14 goals in 22 appearances as Saints secured a sixth-placed finish, crucial as league reconstruction meant that finishing any lower would have resulted in them falling down to the third tier for the first time in their history.

McDowell then scored 13 times in each of the next two seasons, the second of which saw Saints win the league and secure promotion back to the top tier.

McDowell went on to play for Kilmarnock, Falkirk (where he won the Second Division championship), Arbroath and Petershill.