Dougan was a great - Neill - Sport in brief

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Dougan, who has died at the age of 69, has been hailed as one of the most colourful and outspoken characters in British football. But Neill, who went on to manage Northern Ireland, insists the footballing prowess which saw him score 123 goals in 323 games at Wolves should not be forgotten.

Comparing Dougan to the likes of the legendary Danny Blanchflower, Neill told BBC Radio Five Live: "I'm devastated at his passing. I think his character on occasions overshadowed his real ability because he was a proper footballer."

He added: "He was much better than a lot of people thought and I realised that on one occasion against Russia at Windsor Park.

"We were struggling quite frankly, but 'Doug' and I played as twin centre-forwards and it was an education to play with him up there, to realise just what a great player he was."

Dougan had a reputation for being an outspoken figure both on and off the field and Neill added: "He had a few opinions and, on occasions, he and I - shall we say - agreed to disagree, which was not uncommon.

"We were both from east Belfast and similar backgrounds and we didn't see eye to eye. But, overall, my thoughts now are that Derek should be remembered for what a great footballer he was, and he was a great footballer."