He started his playing career at Rangers, for whom he played in the 1967 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, before moving to the English Football League. He played nearly 300 League matches for Crystal Palace, Birmingham Citywith whom he played more than 200 games and was named Player of the Year as they won promotion to the First Division in 1972Oxford United and Walsall. He had a brief spell as manager of Motherwell and a six-game spell as interim manager of St Johnstone before leaving professional football to work as a PE teacher. He was the nephew of Bill Shankly.