Club Career
Gallacher started his Scottish League career with Dundee United, where he spent seven years as part of a successful team under the guidance of Jim McLean. He appeared in the 1987 UEFA Cup Final, where United lost on aggregate to IFK Göteborg. He won his first Scotland cap against Colombia in 1987. Gallacher scored Dundee United's goal in the 1988 Scottish Cup Final, in the 2-1 defeat by Celtic.
Gallacher moved to Coventry City in 1990 and became a fans favourite for three years. He then joined Blackburn Rovers in March 1993 for £1.5million, as they looked for new blood in their ultimately unsuccessful bid to win the FA Premier League title that season and fill the gap up front left by the long-term injury absence of Alan Shearer.
Unfortunately, two broken legs (the second sustained in his first game after the original injury) restricted him to just one Premier League game in 1994-95, when Blackburn were league champions. His only league game of the season came against Crystal Palace, when he scored a crucial goal in a 2-1 win.
He returned to full effectiveness in 1996-97, however, scoring 10 goals to help avoid a relegation scare. In 1997-98 he formed a potent partnership with Chris Sutton, scoring 16 goals himself as Blackburn finished 6th. However, injuries and inconsistencies meant he missed much of 1998-99, although he was the team's top goalscorer with 5 goals. Despite this, they were relegated just 4 seasons after winning the title.
He moved on to Newcastle United after Blackburn's relegation to become Bobby Robson's first signing. He was mostly used as a right winger, a role he adapted to superbly, and despite a lack of goals, was fairly popular with the Newcastle fans for his work rate.
Spells at Preston North End (where he scored twice against Kidderminster Harriers and Sheffield United), Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town followed before hanging up his boots in 2002, ending a career which had seen him score a total of 106 goals in 430 games in the English and Scottish leagues.
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