We got a superstar

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y ROGER HANNAH

Published: 07 Jul 2009

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GRAEME SOUNESS wanted Mo Johnston because he felt he'd make Rangers better.

But he also knew pinching Mojo from under Celtic's noses would suck the life from the Hoops.

As the striker put pen to paper inside Ibrox, Souey told agent Bill McMurdo the deal could hurt Celts for a decade.

It was a prediction that was 90 minutes from being fulfilled as Gers came so close to ten-in-a-row.

And two decades on from the transfer that rocked football, Souness still rates it as the biggest deal of them all.

He told SunSport: "Hurting Celtic was not the drive behind the deal. But yes, I knew it would be a consequence of the transfer.

"I felt the manner of the move would damage them for a number of years.

"I think I did say it would take them ten years to recover and looking back I feel that's what happened.

"Rangers were so close to ten-in-a-row. It was not far off."

Souness, a former Scotland team-mate of Johnston, was the driving force behind the astonishing deal.

He wanted a top-level frontman to challenge the established strikeforce of Ally McCoist and Mark Hateley.

Souey had admired Johnston as he fired goals in Scotland, England and France - and he didn't care about Gers' policy of never signing Catholics.

He added: "What was the chairman's reaction when I told him I wanted to sign Maurice? Disbelief.

"But within a minute we were all convinced that it was the right thing to do.

"It was done for all the right footballing reasons. That was all I was interested in.

"It was a no-brainer for me. That's how I felt about the deal.

"I knew Maurice's character because I'd played with him and been on international trips with him.

"I knew his quality and I knew he'd scored goals in different places throughout his career.

"The age was right and the money was right.

"The only problem for some people was his religion. But that wasn't an issue for me."

The backlash at Johnston's £1.5million switch from Nantes was the fiercest ever witnessed.

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Death threats were directed at Souness and Gers chairman David Murray and scarves were burned outside Ibrox. But Souey admits he shrugged off most of the flak and vitriol which came his way.

Only in recent years has the Ibrox icon learned the true depth of the ill-will from some fans.

Souness said: "I was a lot younger at the time of the deal.

"None of the other stuff really bothered me.

"To be honest, a lot of that stuff was kept away from me. I only found out later all the different things that had happened.

"But at the time, I can honestly say I wasn't worried.

"We somehow kept the deal extremely quiet.

"Glasgow's a footballing city and there's a different rumour every day.

"But we somehow kept a lid on this one and when we unveiled Maurice there was total disbelief."

Souness insists he has nothing but admiration for Johnston's cool and calm manner in the face of fans' fury.

But having played with the hitman on Scotland duty, he'd never doubted Mojo had the strength of character to cope.

He added: "You have to remember we weren't just signing a Roman Catholic - we were signing a Roman Catholic who had played for Celtic and who had posed with a Celtic strip on just a few weeks earlier.

"Mo had the full set of reasons NOT to make the move.

"That's why he deserves so much credit for going through with it.

"We had tried to sign John Collins when he was at Hibs. He thought long and hard about it, but decided he couldn't make that move.

"I can't say enough about Maurice in that respect.

"He had an attitude towards it that said 'Don't worry about it because I ain't worried about it and I'll make it happen'.

"To be fair to him, he did make it happen and that spirit of his shone through.

"There was no fear with Maurice and that showed in his play too."

Johnston was a massive on-field hit for Gers after becoming the club's first high-profile Catholic signing. And Souness admits he would have paid more than the £1.5m fee to French outfit Nantes.

He said: "He was cheap at the price. We only paid about £1.5m for him.

"I can't speak highly enough about him as a player.

"He'd been down in England beforehand and done extremely well.

"Maurice's personality was also attractive to me. He has always been a chirpy, lively and spirited lad.

"Everything about Maurice made him right for us.

"It was exciting times at Rangers in those days. We were involved in a lot of unexpected deals in those days.

"We were signing England internationals, we were out-bidding the big English clubs and paying more wages than them.

"But I think Maurice was the most unexpected deal of them all."

Souness still stays in touch with his most sensational signing, and reckons he has mellowed over the years.

He added: "Mo has been back over to see me a couple of times.

"He came to see me when I was at Newcastle and we were playing down at Chelsea.

"He came into the dressing-room when the players were out warming up. We sat down and we had a really good chat.

"He'd changed from the scallywag you had to keep an eye on and keep away from the ladies.

"He used to love a night out. He was always right at the front of the queue.

"But I think it all added to his personality.

"He was a dream to work with and because he liked a night out he'd work harder in training.

"It helped that he was naturally fit and a natural athlete.

"He didn't give me any headaches worth talking about.