McGovern is most famous for captaining the Nottingham Forest side that won the European Cup twice under the management of Brian Clough, whom he played under at four clubs, and Peter Taylor.

McGovern has player-managed Bolton Wanderers and joint-managed Rotherham United with Archie Gemmill, with whom he won the Football League Trophy.

[1] He lived in Montrose until he was seven years old before moving to Hartlepool[6][7] when his family relocated when his father needed to find work.

McGovern's father was killed in an accident on the last day of his 2 years working in Africa before he was scheduled to return home.

[6] The young McGovern initially wanted to play as a striker for the glory that came with scoring goals but was unsuited to that role.

He began his senior career in English football's fourth tier with local club Hartlepools United in 1965–66.

Shortly after arriving at Derby, on 2 October 1968 while in the reserves he watched the first team 3-1 replay win v Chelsea in the 1968–69 Football League Cup.

[14] After a disappointing 1970–71 season, Liverpool contesting a 1971–72 four-way league title fight lost 1–0 in their penultimate game to McGovern's 62nd-minute goal at Derby County.

Needing to win the same evening if Leeds lost, Liverpool drew 0–0 at Arsenal with Shankly furious an 88th minute Toshack goal was disallowed.

McGovern made four first team appearances all when Bremner was suspended after his sending off for fighting in the 1974 FA Charity Shield with Kevin Keegan.

[20] It was in this season McGovern became long standing club captain taking over from a game in which Bob 'Sammy' Chapman and Liam O'Kane were both injured.

"[25] On 7 May Alan Moore's own goal meant Forest in their last league game of the season beat Millwall 1–0 at the City Ground.

[26] This kept Forest in the third promotion spot in the league table and dependent on Bolton Wanderers dropping points in three games in hand in the fight for third place.

[27] On 14 May Kenny Hibbitt's goal from his rehearsed free kick routine with Willie Carr gave Wolves a 1–0 win at Bolton.

[23][28] McGovern later said Bolton's defeat reached the Forest team mid-air en route to an end of season break in Mallorca.

Middleton later in the month went in part exchange with £25,000 to Derby County for Archie Gemmill transferring to Forest to rejoin McGovern in midfield.

[34] Gemmill was another Scottish former 1972 Derby title winner bringing something to central midfield in which McGovern was deficient; pace.

They lost only one further game all season, 11 March FA Cup sixth round defeat at West Bromwich Albion.

[citation needed] This made Clough the third of four managers to win the English league championship with two different clubs.

[33] They beat Liverpool 1–0 in the 1978 Football League Cup Final replay despite cup-tied Shilton, Gemmill and December signing David Needham missing out.

[39] On 9 December 1978 Liverpool ended Forest's 42 match unbeaten league run dating back to the November the year before.

[41] In February 1979 Taylor authorised the English game's first £1 million transfer signing Trevor Francis from Birmingham City.

[46] McGovern subsequently said the double defeat by CSKA affected the team's self-confidence in that they had lost out to modestly talented opponents.

[21] The rebuilt side comprising youngsters and signings such as Ian Wallace, Raimondo Ponte and Justin Fashanu did not challenge for trophies.

[6] McGovern and Ken McNaught are the only two Scottish players to win Europe's premier club trophy to never have gained a full international cap.

He initially made a total of 16 League appearances for Bolton before retiring as a player to focus on the demands of management.

"[53] A profile of the young McGovern on Sporting Heroes states, "John's ability to do the simple things well, allied to his work ethic and willingness to act as a man marker saw him return a series of solid displays; often against much older and experienced opponents.

"[54] The same article closes by stating of his time at Derby, "He scored twenty goals and at his best demonstrated ball control and passing skills of the highest level, a talent that frequently allowed others to shine.

Although I may not sound Scottish having left there when I was seven-years-old, I am a proud Scotsman having been born and bred in Montrose and any honour that you get in football is very well received.

"[7] John was a friend of former AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young and would invite him to Nottingham Forest home games when the band were in the UK.