ALLY MCCOIST is all things to all people. Today, he celebrates his 60th birthday and reaches another milestone in a life and career of so many.
He is a Rangers legend, a hero and inspiration to a generation. He is the man who didn't do walking away, the figure that supporters rallied round in their darkest days.
He is a television personality, a respected pundit and a character whose sense of humour and charisma endear him to a new audience decades after he heard his name chanted around Ibrox.
McCoist the player can be headlined in a handful of numbers, most notably the 355 goals that make him Rangers' record scorer. He won ten league titles, two European Golden Boots and scored 19 times for Scotland.
Yet those figures don't tell of McCoist's true impact on the field. When the focus shifts to off the park, it becomes even more difficult to encapsulate the respect and affection that comes as naturally to his admirers as his ability to score goals did to him.
He was the boyhood blue who made it big, the fan who lived the dream. His arrival at Ibrox in 1983 was the continuation of his love affair with Rangers and the start of a relationship with supporters that lasts to this day.
There have been some testing, torturous moments in that rapport and the struggles of his managerial tenure briefly blighted his standing in the eyes of some. Time has healed those wounds, though, an understanding of his predicament and his fortitude resulting in a softening of stances.
Whether it be for losing a match, not returning a call or for being late, again, for an arrangement, it is impossible to be angry or hold a grievance. It's Coisty, after all.
He was part of the team that played together and drank together. A superstar of his day, he could go fishing with Paul Gascoigne or have a pint with Ian Durrant at a time when social media didn't pose a threat or a nuisance and players were able to live as hard as they played.
The goal which made Ally McCoist Rangers greatest ever League goal scorer. Bob McPhail had held the record for 57yrs until McCoist scored his 231st League goal v Raith Rovers at Ibrox in January 1996. Mr. McPhail was on hand to congratulate McCoist after the game. pic.twitter.com/zbsQEtiYPf
— Rangers History (@RangersFACTS) January 4, 2020
And McCoist could play alright. He would be the first to thank the contributions of Davie Cooper or Brian Laudrup, of Maurice Johnston or Mark Hateley, but Super Ally's positional nous, the timing of his runs and the clinical way in which he finished places him on a pedestal of his own.
A scorer of great goals and a great goal scorer, McCoist's list of magical moments could stretch the length of Edmiston Drive. The Old Firm winners and strikes that clinched medals or made European history naturally stand out, yet McCoist savoured each in its own right as he wrote his legacy in Ibrox folklore.
He was not just the best of his generation, but he is one of the best ever. The sight of a 'McCoist 9' shirt will send shivers down the spine of defenders but evoke smiles and memories that Rangers supporters will forever hold dear.
McCoist made his name being in the right place at the right time as a striker. On a personal level, that wasn't the case when he succeeded Walter Smith as manager and found himself at the helm as the ship sunk in 2012.
Other coaches may have fared better, but no other man could have carried such a burden on his shoulders. At a time when the lines between football and finances were interlinked, McCoist's leadership, both in his words and his actions, was befitting of the office that he held and testament to his strength of character.
He is the Rangers manager that found himself in the witness box in the High Court. That appearance came long after his exit from Ibrox, a decision that was taken with the heaviest of hearts but with necessary intentions after the stresses - compounded by lack of sleep and a proper diet - took a personal toll that he couldn't see at the time.
His role in saving and preserving Rangers during their most tumultuous times adds to his legacy in the eyes of those fortunate enough to see him pull on his boots. For the fans that have followed, McCoist has become a familiar face on the screen and voice on the airwaves as management has been left behind and he has returned to his career as a broadcaster.
He had pulled up a seat behind a desk on A Question of Sport before he had retired and went on to make 363 appearances - another record, albeit a more unusual one, to add to his resume - until commitments with Rangers in 2007 forced him to step aside.
If McCoist hadn't been born with the gift to score goals, his gift of the gab could easily have led him into entertainment. A role as Jackie McQuillan, a former Celtic striker, in A Shot at Glory alongside Robert Duval wasn't the start of an acting career but he is a regular on the small screen with ITV, BT Sport and Premier Sport and his talkSPORT shows are essential listening.
Welcome To The Party, Ally McCoist! Super Ally can't help but join Rangers' celebrations at Ibrox! 😅#UEL pic.twitter.com/BP6h9Yatc1
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 5, 2022
His quick wit and seemingly endless bank of stories and anecdotes are typical of the cheeky chap persona that permeated his playing career, yet there is a serious side to McCoist and the depth of his knowledge of the game is evident when behind the microphone as a co-commentator. He is informative but not overloading, the tone perfectly struck in a style, most notably alongside Jon Champion, that feels natural and relatable.
McCoist has never been a figure that has been despised, even in the unique and at times unpleasant world of the Old Firm. That alone speaks to a talent that could not be grudged and an approach to life - one full of incident and devilment but serious when the time comes - that is infectious to those that know McCoist or merely know of McCoist.
Recent times have been touched by tragedy, the passing of Walter Smith, Jimmy Bell and Andy Goram moments of deep personal mourning. He lost a manager, a colleague and a team-mate, but in each instance he lost a friend as bonds made during glorious successes of nine-in-a-row or triumph against adversity second time around were broken in death.
The way in which McCoist spoke about Smith the man and the manager, just minutes after his death was announced, stands as one of the most emotional, evocative periods of broadcasting many will ever listen to. Once more, and for the last time, McCoist did his gaffer proud.
His years alongside Smith for club and country were special. And the presence of Tommy Burns made them even more cherished for McCoist.
He would carry the coffin of Burns at his funeral in 2008. Like the former Celtic midfielder and manager, he was never going to be loved across the divide but the respect from the opposite side told its own story and was a mark of the man.
It is why the messages and wishes of many happy returns will be countless today as McCoist turns 60. A devoted father of five, the celebrations with his nearest and dearest will mean the most to him but the esteem in which he is held near and far will be evident once again.
He is, after all, all things to all people.
