Joe Jordan
Joseph Jordan is a Scottish former football player, manager and coach. A forward, Jordan started his senior football career with Greenock Morton. With Leeds United he won the 1973–74 Football League First Division and was runner up in the 1973 European Cup Winners' Cup final and the 1975 European Cup final. With Manchester United he was runner up in the 1979 FA Cup Final. He won the 1982–83 Serie B title with Milan and was runner up in the 1984 Coppa Italia Final with Hellas Verona. He helped Southampton to their second highest league finish of fifth in 1984–85, for what would have qualified for the 1985–86 UEFA Cup. He then ended his playing career with Bristol City where he also became player-manager.
Jordan gained 52 full Scotland caps scoring 11 goals. He is the only Scot to score in three World Cups, For his playing efforts for club and country, he was a Scottish Football Hall of Fame 2005 inductee.
As well as at Bristol City, he has managed or coached Heart of Midlothian, Celtic, Stoke City, Northern Ireland, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers, Middlesbrough and most recently AFC Bournemouth.
In his first game for Leeds United reserves, he had two front teeth knocked out. That combined with his strong, fearless and committed play, created his fearsome 'Jaws' persona.
Early life
Jordan was born in the village of Cleland, Lanarkshire. After leaving school, Jordan became an apprentice draughtsman. At age 15, Jordan had also begun playing for the Scottish Junior Football Association club, Blantyre Victoria.Club career
Morton
Jordan began his professional career in 1968 joining Morton from Blantyre Victoria for £250. He initially played for Morton part-time. His only Morton goal was in the 4–1 home league win versus Partick Thistle on 14 April 1970. That win clinched Morton's place in the new 'British Cup' tournament, the Texaco Cup. Four days later he was involved in the build up for Bobby Collins' goal, clinching a 2–0 win at Rangers.39-year old Collins was Morton's player-coach. He had started his professional career playing for the club Jordan supported as a boy, Celtic. Collins in 1962 joined Don Revie's Leeds United for five seasons. Revie later described Collins as 'the best signing I ever made'. As well as his Morton duties, Collins was now also Leeds' scout in Scotland. Collins personally recommended Jordan to Revie. Revie watched Jordan in Morton's Texaco Cup game at West Bromwich Albion. Morton won both legs versus West Brom, for a 3–1 aggregate victory. Jordan described Collins as his 'footballing godfather'. Jordan recalled the Rangers game in his book: "I got involved in the move that resulted in a goal for Collins, my hero and, as it turned out, the man who put in the word that carried me to where I wanted to be, at the top of the professional game."
In total Jordan made 12 Morton league and cup appearances.
Leeds United
Aged 18, Jordan signed for Revie at Leeds in November 1970 for £15,000 plus an extra £5,000 dependent on Jordan making Leeds' first-team. There was little initial prospect of Jordan making the Leeds first-team, due to the well established, successful Allan Clarke and Mick Jones forward partnership. In 1973, Jordan made 16 League starts and scored nine goals. However, he was left out of the team that lost the FA Cup final 1-0 to Sunderland. He played in the 1973 European Cup Winners' Cup final 1-0 defeat to Milan. Jordan scored seven goals in his 25 games in Leeds' 1973-74 League winning team.By 1974, Jordan was Leeds' main target man providing many knock-downs, especially for Peter Lorimer. With other Scottish players at Leeds, Jordan formed part of the so-called 'Scottish mafia', alongside goalkeeper David Harvey, defender Gordon McQueen, midfielder Billy Bremner, left winger Eddie Gray and right winger Peter Lorimer.
In the 1974-75 European Cup, Jordan scored in the home first-leg wins over FC Zürich and Anderlecht. Leeds also eliminated Újpesti Dózsa and FC Barcelona. Jordan and Leeds lost the 1975 European Cup final 2–0 to Bayern Munich.
In Jordan's 135 Leeds league games he scored 39 goals.
Manchester United
Aged 26, Jordan signed for Dave Sexton for Manchester United on 4 January 1978 for £350,000. Jordan reached the 1979 FA Cup final, losing 3–2 to Arsenal. During a 1980 FA Cup third round replay at Old Trafford, Jordan clashed with Tottenham Hotspur's goalkeeper Milija Aleksic, dislocating Aleksic's jaw. The Independent in 2011 described this as a revenge act for Aleksic having repeatedly been charging Jordan during corners. It became known as the game that saw Tottenham's Glenn Hoddle play in goal.In the four seasons Jordan played in at Old Trafford, they were runners-up in the 1979-80 Football League First Division. They recovered from a poor start to the season to finish two points off top spot. Winners were Liverpool, who for 15 years from the mid 1970s succeeded Leeds as England's team to beat. Jordan top scored for United that season with 13 goals, all in the league. United's second place finish qualified them for the 1980-81 UEFA Cup, as did Bobby Robson's Ipswich Town who finished third. United were eliminated in the UEFA Cup first round by Widzew Łódź on away goals after drawing 1-1 at home and then 0-0 in Poland. Ipswich won the UEFA Cup that season. Jordan top scored again that season, this time with 15.
Milan
Aged 29, in July 1981 Jordan transferred to AC Milan. He played in the 1981–82 Serie A season. He thus succeeded Denis Law to be the second Scotsman to both play in and score in the Italian Football Championship, since its landmark 1929-30 Serie A rebrand. Jordan scored two goals in his 22 Serie A games that season, the first of which was the opener in a 7 November 1981, 1-1 home draw v Como.In the 1981-82 Coppa Italia, Milan finished third in the five team group behind group winners, Internazionale, and Hellas Verona. Jordan's header put Milan 2-1 ahead v Inter in the 49th minute. Walter Novellino had put Milan ahead before Alessandro Altobelli equalised. Giuseppe Bergomi though added a second Inter equaliser in the 89th minute for 2-2 final score.
Milan won the 1981/82 Mitropa Cup. Their opponents in the 4 team round-robin competition were TJ Vítkovice, Haladás and NK Osijek.
Milan went into the last game of the league season in 14th; the third of the relegation places in the 16 team division. To avoid relegation they needed to catch Genoa who were better off by both of two points, and a goal difference of four. After 63 minutes, Genoa were losing 2-1 at SSC Napoli. Milan though were losing 2-0 at AC Cesena. Jordan scored in the 67th minute to ignite a comeback to lead 3-2 after 81 minutes. Genoa though equalised in the 85th minute to draw 2-2. With no further goals in either of these 2 games, Milan were relegated. In all domestic competitions Jordan joint top-scored for Milan that season with six goals with Roberto Antonelli.
In playing in Serie B 1982–83 season, Jordan became the first Scotsman to play in Serie B since its creation in the 1929 Italian football re-structure. He scored 10 goals in 30 Serie B games, with Milan losing only 2 league games all season and never out of the top two places in the table from match week four onwards. They won promotion back to Serie A as Serie B champions. He was again joint top scorer for Milan, this time with 14 goals along with Aldo Serena. Penalties were not taken by an attacking player but by defender, Franco Baresi. Jordan's 30 Serie B appearances record for a Scotsman has since been surpassed by Liam Henderson in 2019. Henderson in 2023 equalled Jordan's record 10 career Serie B goals record by a Scotsman. Henderson's Serie B goals, though, were not in one season.
In the 1982-83 Coppa Italia six team group stage Milan lost only once in their five games, to two Paolo Rossi Juventus goals. Jordan scored for Milan in that away 2-1 defeat. Another of Jordan's Coppa goals was in the group stage home win versus Serie A club Genoa. 2-0 down to a Mauro Tassotti own goal and a René Vandereycken strike, Jordan's 43rd minute goal sparked a comeback. Serena added two for a 3-2 win. In the quarter-final, Milan played against Hellas Verona, riding high that season to a fourth place Serie A finish and UEFA Cup qualification. Milan drew the first leg 2-2 away to their opponents from the division above. In the 2nd leg in Milan, Jordan put his team 3-1 ahead in the 54th minute. However, after Domenico Penzo made it 3-3 in the 89th minute, Milan were eliminated 5-5 on away goals.
Jordan played two seasons for Milan, scoring 12 goals in his 52 league games. Jordan made 66 domestic league and cup Milan appearances, scoring 20 goals.
On the eve of a return to the club in a Champions League game in 2011, as a coach with Tottenham, Jordan said the move to Milan, one of the biggest clubs in the world, was the best move of his career. He opined that it gave him experience he had always wanted, namely a chance to play abroad. He has explained he retained strong links with Milan. One of his four children, Caroline, lives there with her children raised Italian.
Hellas Verona
Aged 31, in 1983 Jordan transferred to fellow Serie A club, Hellas Verona. While Jordan had been in Serie B with Milan, Verona finished fourth in the 1982–83 Serie A, earning a UEFA Cup berth. Jordan played three Verona 1983-84 UEFA Cup games. He subbed on in the first round, first leg 1-0 home win v Red Star Belgrade as part of a 4-2 aggregate win. He thus became the first Scotsman to play for an Italian club in UEFA organised competition. In the second round, he played all 90 minutes of the 2-2 home draw and subbed on in the 0-0 away draw v SK Sturm Graz. Verona were thus eliminated on the away goals rule without having lost a game over 90 minutes in that season's UEFA Cup.Jordan played 24 league and cup Verona games. His appearances were limited by a combination of his injuries and the good form of Maurizio Iorio and Giuseppe Galderisi that season. Jordan subbed on six times in his 12 Verona Serie A games. His only Verona Serie A goal was in the 1-0 home win v UC Sampdoria on 8 April 1984. Verona finished the 1983–84 Serie A season sixth on equal points with Sampdoria and Jordan's ex-club, Milan.
Jordan scored once in nine 1983-84 Coppa Italia games, opening the scoring in the semi-final first leg 2-1 win at SSC Bari. Jordan subbed on in both legs of the 1984 Coppa Italia final, which they lost for the second season in a row, this time to AS Roma. After drawing the first leg 1-1 at home, they lost 1-0 in Rome. That defeat in Rome was Jordan's last Verona game. He was the first Scotsman to play in a Coppa Italia final.
Despite his limited game time, Jordan's season with Verona is looked back upon as successful. Verona fans immediately loved Jordan, appreciating his passion and commitment on the pitch. They displayed a large Scottish flag in the Curva Sud because of him. He is credited with passing on valuable experience to Iorio, Galderisi and other young players at the club ahead of their campaign the next season. Replacing Jordan the season after with Preben Elkjaer up front, Verona were Italian football league champions for the first time in their history in 1985. In August 2023, Jordan was asked by Verona to launch a new club kit. The club said: "Hellas Verona are proud to present the new third match shirt which the players will wear in the 2023/24 season, which sees an example of excellence wearing it forty years after his only season in gialloblù, the unforgettable Scottish champion Joe Jordan."