Gough was first noticed in the successful Dundee United team of the early 1980s, winning the Scottish league title in 1982–83 and reaching the European Cup semi-final in 1984. Gough captained Tottenham Hotspur in the 1987 FA Cup Final. He then captained Rangers to nine successive Scottish league titles. He also played for Scotland 61 times and played in the finals of three major international tournaments.