John Prescott McGovern (born 28 October 1949) is a Scottish former association football midfielder and manager. McGovern is most famous for captaining the Nottingham Forest side that won the European Cup twice under the management of Brian Clough, whom he played under at four clubs, and Peter Taylor. At the age of 19 he became the youngest player to play in all four divisions of the Football League. During his playing career he won promotion with Hartlepools United / Hartlepool, Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He won titles as English League champions with both Derby and Forest. At Forest he also won the UEFA Super Cup, two Football League Cups, the FA Charity Shield and the Anglo-Scottish Cup. He was Forest's club captain throughout this period of success. A hard working central midfield team-player, McGovern passed the ball comfortably with either foot. John Robertson said, "As far as I'm concerned John McGovern is what epitomises what every good side needs." McGovern played over 650 senior first team games during his playing career spanning 19 seasons. McGovern won two Scottish under-23 caps. He is one of only two Scots players to win UEFA's premier club trophy to never win a full international cap. He was a 2017 Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductee. McGovern has player-managed Bolton Wanderers and joint-managed Rotherham United with Archie Gemmill, with whom he won the Football League Trophy. He has served as assistant manager for Plymouth Argyle and Hull City. He has also worked in media punditry. Early years McGovern was born in Montrose, Angus, in north east Scotland. He lived in Montrose until he was seven years old before moving to Hartlepool. His father died when McGovern was aged 11. The young McGovern attended Henry Smith's Grammar School, a rugby-playing school. However, during school holidays his mother sent him to stay with his grandmother in Boness. It was in Boness that McGovern started to play football with a band of friends he made there. Despite being captain of the school teams at rugby and cricket, football became his preferred sport. Back in Hartlepool he played for his first team when he was 15. His football heroes were both strikers, Denis Law and Jimmy Greaves, and as a boy McGovern also wanted to become a striker. Central Park FC then sent him for a trial with local senior club, Hartlepool United. Career Hartlepools United / Hartlepool