Paul McStay
Encyclopedia
Paul Michael Lyons McStay MBE
, nicknamed the Maestro (born 22 October 1964, Hamilton), is a former football
player who spent his entire career with Scottish
team Celtic F.C.
, making his debut in 1982 and retiring in 1997. He captained both Scotland and Celtic at all age levels. He was capped 76 times for his country and scored nine goals.
He helped Celtic win three league titles, the last one in 1988 and remains a popular figure amongst Celtic's fans and unusually admired by fans of arch rivals Rangers. The song "Willie Maley", which celebrates McStay (among other former players) has become popular in recent years.
He moved to live in Sydney Australia with his wife Anne Marie and their six children in 2010.
in 1981. He scored on his league debut against Aberdeen
in a match Celtic won 3-1 on 30 January 1982. He first came came to prominence in 1980, in a Schoolboy International match where Scotland played England at Wembley. Then 15, he was the captain and shone during the match like a player twice his age. He scored a great goal in the match and was awarded the Man of the Match award after Scotland ran out 5-4 winners.
When Roy Aitken
left Celtic Park
in 1990, McStay was appointed club captain, a position he retained until his retirement following the 1996-97 season
. In his time with the club, Celtic won the League title three times, the Scottish Cup
4 times and the League Cup
once. Although the second half of McStay's career coincided with a time when Celtic were in turmoil and were overshadowed by rivals Rangers
, in 2002 he was voted a member of Celtic's greatest ever team by the club's fans. He is also a member of the Scotland Football Hall of Fame
.
McStay's great-uncles, Jimmy
and Willie McStay
, were former Celtic captains, and his brothers Willie
and Raymond
also played for Celtic. His nephew, John, played with Celtic Boys Club before moving onto Motherwell
under 19s and now plays for Ayr United
as a defender.
in 1986
and 1990
, during a 14-year international career. In mid-1982 he captained Scotland
to victory in the UEFA European Under-18 Championship
. This is the only major trophy to date, won by the Scottish Football Association
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, nicknamed the Maestro (born 22 October 1964, Hamilton), is a former football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player who spent his entire career with Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
team Celtic F.C.
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, making his debut in 1982 and retiring in 1997. He captained both Scotland and Celtic at all age levels. He was capped 76 times for his country and scored nine goals.
He helped Celtic win three league titles, the last one in 1988 and remains a popular figure amongst Celtic's fans and unusually admired by fans of arch rivals Rangers. The song "Willie Maley", which celebrates McStay (among other former players) has become popular in recent years.
He moved to live in Sydney Australia with his wife Anne Marie and their six children in 2010.
Club career
McStay signed for Celtic aged seventeen from Celtic Boys ClubCeltic Boys Club
-External links:*...
in 1981. He scored on his league debut against Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
in a match Celtic won 3-1 on 30 January 1982. He first came came to prominence in 1980, in a Schoolboy International match where Scotland played England at Wembley. Then 15, he was the captain and shone during the match like a player twice his age. He scored a great goal in the match and was awarded the Man of the Match award after Scotland ran out 5-4 winners.
When Roy Aitken
Roy Aitken
Robert Sime "Roy" Aitken is a former footballer who went on to become a coach with clubs including Leeds United and Aston Villa. His position as a player was defence.Born in Irvine, Ayrshire, he grew up in Ardrossan...
left Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
in 1990, McStay was appointed club captain, a position he retained until his retirement following the 1996-97 season
1996-97 in Scottish football
The 1996–97 season was the 100th season of competitive football in Scotland. This season seen a playoff system introduced between the 2nd bottom club in the Premier Division and the 2nd top club in Division One.-Scottish Premier Division:...
. In his time with the club, Celtic won the League title three times, the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
4 times and the League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
once. Although the second half of McStay's career coincided with a time when Celtic were in turmoil and were overshadowed by rivals Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, in 2002 he was voted a member of Celtic's greatest ever team by the club's fans. He is also a member of the Scotland Football Hall of Fame
Scotland Football Hall of Fame
The Scotland national football team roll of honour is a list set up by the Scottish Football Association which recognises players who have gained 50 or more international caps for Scotland. There are currently 26 players on the roll of honour, with Kenny Miller the most recent addition...
.
McStay's great-uncles, Jimmy
Jimmy McStay
James Frederick "Jimmy" McStay was a Scottish football player and manager. He spent most of his career at Celtic, and was a captain and manager for the club. He took over the club captaincy from his brother, Willie McStay, in 1929.McStay managed the club between 9 February 1940, and 23 July 1945...
and Willie McStay
Willie McStay (footballer born 1890)
Willie McStay was a Scottish international footballer who played as a fullback.McStay began his senior career when he joined Celtic from Larkhall Thistle in 1912, although he was immediately loaned to Ayr United, spending the following four seasons with the Somerset Park club...
, were former Celtic captains, and his brothers Willie
Willie McStay (footballer born 1961)
William John "Willie" McStay is a Scottish professional football player and manager.-Playing career:McStay played for Celtic from 1979 to 1987. McStay made his debut on 2 April 1983 when he came on as a sub in Celtic's 3-1 home win over Motherwell and went on to make 65 league appearances,...
and Raymond
Raymond McStay
Raymond McStay is a Scottish ex-professional footballer.-Playing career:McStay began his career at Celtic, where his older brothers Willie and Paul, as well as his great-uncles Willie and Jimmy had already played. A product of Celtic Boys Club, McStay signed professional forms at the same time as...
also played for Celtic. His nephew, John, played with Celtic Boys Club before moving onto Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
under 19s and now plays for Ayr United
Ayr United F.C.
Ayr United Football Club are a Scottish association football team based in Ayr, South Ayrshire, that plays in the First Division of the Scottish Football League. Formed in 1910 after the merger of former clubs Ayr Parkhouse F.C. and Ayr F.C...
as a defender.
International career
McStay made his full national team debut in 1983 and represented Scotland 76 times, including appearances at two World CupsFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
in 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
and 1990
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
, during a 14-year international career. In mid-1982 he captained Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
to victory in the UEFA European Under-18 Championship
UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955...
. This is the only major trophy to date, won by the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
.
International goals
- Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 17 October 1984 Hampden Park Hampden ParkHampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
1-0 3-0 WCQG7 2 17 October 1984 Hampden Park Hampden ParkHampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
2-0 3-0 WCQG7 3 28 January 1986 National Stadium, Ramat Gan 1-0 1-0 Friendly 4 1 April 1987 Parc Astrid Parc AstridParc Astrid or Astridpark is an urban public park in Anderlecht, Brussels, Belgium, inaugurated on August 13, 1911. It was named Parc du Meir/Meirpark until 1935, when the mayor of Anderlecht decided to change the name in memory of Astrid of Sweden, who died in a tragic car accident that year....
, BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
1-1 1-4 ECQG7 5 14 October 1987 Hampden Park Hampden ParkHampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
2-0 2-0 ECQG7 6 14 September 1988 Ullevaal Stadion Ullevaal StadionUllevaal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located in Oslo, Norway. It is the home ground of Vålerenga IF and the Norway national football team, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of FK Lyn. With a capacity of 25,572, it is the...
, OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
1-0 2-1 WCQG5 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 5The 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 5 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised Cyprus, France, Norway, Scotland and Yugoslavia.The group was won by Yugoslavia, who qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup...7 13 November 1991 Hampden Park Hampden ParkHampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
1-0 4-0 ECQG2 8 25 March 1992 Hampden Park Hampden ParkHampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
1-0 1-1 Friendly 9 18 June 1992 Idrottsparken IdrottsparkenIdrottsparken is a multi-purpose stadium in Norrköping, Sweden constructed in 1903. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the home arena for IFK Norrköping, IK Sleipner and for IF Sylvia. The stadium had a capacity of 19,414 people until 2008/2009 when the arena was re-built....
, NorrköpingNorrköpingNorrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
1-0 3-0 ECGB
International
- UEFA European Under-18 ChampionshipUEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipThe European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955...
(1)
External links
- International stats at Londonhearts.com