Walter Smith restored my love of football. It was a precious gift, but not the only one he gave me. He listened and he cared.
He changed what was possible. He was the greatest manager of my career and one of the most incredible human beings I've ever met. It's a privilege to be able to say I knew him.
During my years in football, I encountered people of immense talent and huge reputation. Walter, though, was of a different breed to them all.
Walter Smith and Brian Laudrup celebrate Rangers' ninth consecutive league title in 1997
He was somehow more than a manager. I think many of those who played under him would agree. In my time at Rangers, we played for the club, we played for the fans and we played for ourselves. Most of all, though, we played for Walter. I think that sums it up. Like everyone who knew and loved him, I am heartbroken to hear of his passing. But the memories will endure.
For me, they begin in 1994 with perhaps the most important car journey of my life. I met Walter at Ibrox when Rangers wanted to sign me from Fiorentina. We spoke for a little while, then he said: 'Let's go for a drive. I'll take you to Cameron House and show you Loch Lomond.'
Over those 40 minutes we spoke about a lot of things. I told him about life in Italy and how it had been for me and my family.
We started to talk about football. Walter said to me: 'Brian, you will get all the freedom on the park you could wish for. The only thing I want in return is that you have to make the difference.'
It was a turning point in my career. Without question. I've mentioned many times before that I had two very difficult years in Italy. I wanted to be somewhere I could really enjoy the game again.
Laudrup enjoyed a renaissance under Smith at Rangers after a difficult spell in Italy
Walter made that happen. From 1994 onwards, so much changed in terms of how I felt about football and also the success I achieved. I loved working with him at Rangers and that fed into how I played with Denmark, too.
Walter was always personally interested in the whole picture of your life. Straight away, he knew the name of your wife and your children. He understood that if your family or loved ones were happy, then the chance of you delivering on the park would be bigger. It sounds simple, but it takes a certain kind of person to do that. And Walter did it with dedication.
We actually lived close to each other in Helensburgh. The two houses were only about 100 yards apart. Nicolai, our son, would go and speak to his boys, Neil and Steven.
At the end of each season, Walter and his wife, Ethel,
