Former Aberdeen and Arsenal player Willie Young has died at the age of 73

Former Aberdeen and Arsenal defender Willie Young has died aged 73.

Young made over 180 appearances for the Dons before going on to lift the FA Cup with Arsenal in 1979.

He is perhaps best remembered for forcing a change in the laws of the game and creating a ‘professional foul’ after his tackle on West Ham striker Paul Allen in the 1980 final of the competition.

Arsenal said in a statement that “his body and commitment made him a popular figure” among the club’s fans.

They added: “He was reliable, dominant in the air and fearless, and his enormous contribution to a successful period means he will always be remembered fondly by those who saw his massive frame block attacks and wreak havoc on opposition defenses from set-pieces.”

Aberdeen said on the X website that the club was “saddened” to learn of his death.

Young was born in Edinburgh, grew up in the village of Heriot in Midlothian and began his career at Aberdeen in 1970.

He spent five years at the club before joining Tottenham Hotspur in 1975.

He made a controversial move across north London to Arsenal two years later, where he teamed up with his former Tottenham manager, Terry Neill.

With his towering 6ft 3in frame and distinctive red hair, he formed a formidable defensive partnership with Irish centre-back David O’Leary, reaching three successive FA Cup finals between 1978 and 1980.

He received a winners’ medal in Manchester United’s 3-2 win in the ‘Five Minute Final’ in 1979.

But it was his victory over 17-year-old Allen in a 1-0 defeat at West Ham the following year that etched his name in the history of the game.

As the striker pressed for goal in the closing stages, Young taunted him on the edge of the box, preventing an almost certain goal.

He received a yellow card for the incident, but it sparked a national debate about the need for a specific law governing professional fouls.

Automatic red cards for “denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity” were introduced two years later.

Young also played in Arsenal’s 1980 Cup Winners’ Cup final against Valencia in Brussels.

Despite his success at club level, Young never featured for the Scotland national team due to a lifetime ban following an altercation in a Danish nightclub.

The “Copenhagen Five”, Young, Joe Harper, Arthur Graham, Billy Bremner and Pat McCloskey, were banned from the national squad due to the incident.

Harper and Graham were later reinstated after being cleared of wrongdoing but Young was never allowed to wear the navy blue jersey.

He left Arsenal in 1981 after 237 matches, joining Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest.

Young retired in 1984 due to injuries following short spells at Norwich City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Darlington.