Alexander Young (3 February 1937 – 27 February 2017) was a Scottish international footballer. He played as a creative forward for Heart of Midlothian and Everton. He won league championship and cup titles with both clubs where he was also a regular goal scorer. Young later played for Glentoran and Stockport County. Internationally he played for the Scottish League and the Scotland national football team. In football folklore he has become known as 'The Golden Vision'.
Early years
Young was born in Loanhead, Midlothian. He described himself as shy from an understandably over-watchful mother having to cope with the death of a son five years older than Alex being fatally hit by a car. Young later said that as a youngster he grew up supporting the same team as his father, Motherwell. while he also worked as a colliery apprentice.
Playing career
Heart of Midlothian
He joined Tommy Walker's Hearts in 1955 making his debut aged 18. This particular Hearts side had won their breakthrough tournament the year before winning the 1954 Scottish League Cup Final. With Young they next won the 1956 Scottish Cup Final. With Hearts' 'Terrible Trio' forward line of Jimmy Wardhaugh, Willie Bauld and Alfie Conn, Sr at their peak, Young played at right wing.
Hearts led the Scottish League for most of the 1956–57 season. The title hinged on Rangers visit to Tynecastle on 13 April. A capacity crowd watched a tense game in which Rangers keeper, George Niven, was man of the match. Hearts could not beat him and the only goal came from Simpson of Rangers who scored on the break in 35 minutes. Rangers had games in hand which they won to overtake Hearts and lift the trophy. Hearts won that League title in 1957–58 with record-breaking points, goals scored and goal difference. Their record from 34 league games of 62 points out of a maximum possible 68 was 13 more than their nearest rival. They scored 132 goals (still the Scottish top tier record) with only 29 against for a record net difference of +103. In the New Year derby away to Hibs, Young's hat-trick inspired a 5–1 win. He played that season alongside his boyhood hero, Gordon Smith, who had joined Hearts that season. They also won the 1959 Scottish League Cup Final that season.
Everton
Young was transferred in November 1960 to Everton, along with George Thomson, for £55,000.
In addition to the championship, Young won an FA Cup winners medal in Everton's comeback win in the 1966 FA Cup Final. Young scored 89 goals in 275 appearances in all competitions for Everton.
Glentoran and Stockport County
Young was sold to Glentoran in 1968 for £10,000, and briefly managed the club before his failing hearing forced him to step down. Young later played briefly for Stockport County for 23 games before a knee injury forced his retirement aged 31.
Scotland
His full international debut for Scotland came in April 1960, in a 1–1 draw against England attended by 129,193 fans at Hampden Park. By November that year he had six caps, playing alongside an Everton player in each of his last two caps (Jimmy Gabriel and Alex Parker). He moved to Everton before the end of the month of the latter of those two internationals.
Young played one international game in 1961, a 3–0 win against the Republic of Ireland, scoring twice. He didn't play another full international again for five years, including his championship winning season at Everton. Young was recalled to the national squad in summer 1966, after his FA Cup win. He was capped a total of eight times by Scotland, scoring five goals. Young was included in the Football League's "100 Legends of the 20th Century" in 1999, and in August 2001 Everton gave him a testimonial at Goodison Park, which over 20,000 fans attended.
Personal life
Young married Nancy in 1957, and had three children: Jane, Alex Jnr and Jason. Young died at the age of 80 on 27 February 2017 after a short illness. He was survived by wife Nancy who died on 28 October 2023, and their three children.
Honours
Hearts
- Scottish League: 1957–58, 1959–60
- Scottish Cup: 1955–56
- Scottish League Cup: 1959–60
Everton
- Football League First Division: 1962–63
- FA Cup: 1965–66
- FA Charity Shield: 1963
Individual
Young was named as one of the Football League 100 Legends of the 20th Century in May 1999.