Lynch moved to
Queens Park from Renfrew Juniors in his teens, and played for their reserve side before returning briefly to the
Junior ranks with
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy. Lynch was quickly identified as being one of the most promising Junior players in Scotland, and soon attracted interest from Blackpool, Coventry City, Dunfermline Athletic and Hearts. He earned a second chance in senior football when he joined
Heart of Midlothian, signing for the
Maroons in 1969. In 4 seasons at
Tynecastle, Lynch scored 21 goals in just over 100 appearances from the
left wing position. He was capped at under-23 level for Scotland under Tommy Docherty. In February 1973,
Jock Stein paid £35,000 to sign Lynch for
Celtic and, although Lynch was initially ineffective as a winger at
Parkhead due to a chronic pelvic injury, Stein successfully converted him into a
left back. While with Celtic he won three
Scottish league titles and the
Scottish Cup twice. He scored the only goal, a penalty, in the 1977 Scottish Cup final against Rangers. The following season, Lynch became club captain at Celtic Park. After Jock Stein's departure from Celtic Park in 1978, Lynch continued at left-back (and as captain in the absence of Danny McGrain) during Billy McNeill's first season in charge of the club. The memorable 1978-79 campaign culminated in a League Championship win over ancient rivals Rangers. The title was won in a winner-takes-all encounter, which is simply referred to as 'The 4-2 Game'. Lynch moved to North America in 1980, where he continued his playing career in the
North American Soccer League with the
Philadelphia Fury and the
Montreal Manic before moving into coaching. ==Coaching career==