Portal:Scotland/Selected article/Week 36, 2011

Jim Baxter (29 September 1939 – 14 April 2001) was a left-footed Scottish internationalist midfielder who is regarded by some as the country's greatest ever football player. Born and educated in Fife, Baxter started his professional career at Raith Rovers before moving to Glasgow club Rangers for a Scottish record transfer fee in 1960. "Slim Jim" helped Rangers to win ten trophies between 1960 and 1965.

From 1961 to 1967 he was a leading member of a strong Scottish international team that lost to England only in 1965, shortly after he recovered from a leg fracture. He thought his best international performance was a 2–1 win against England in 1963, when he scored both goals after Scotland were reduced to 10 players by an injury. In the 1967 match against England, who had won the 1966 World Cup, he taunted the opposition by ball juggling while waiting for his team-mates to find good positions. In his prime Baxter was known for his ability to raise a team's morale, his good tactical vision, precise passing and ability to send opponents the wrong way – and for being a joker on the pitch. He also broke with Glasgow tradition and Rangers' policy by becoming friendly with several members of their major Glasgow rivals, Celtic.