.jpg) McGrain in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Fergus McGrain[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1950-05-01)1 May 1950 (age 75)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Finnieston, Glasgow, Scotland[2] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Right back[2] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Queen's Park Strollers | |||
| 1967–1970 | Celtic | ||
| Maryhill[2] | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1970–1987 | Celtic | 439 | (4) |
| 1987–1988 | Hamilton Academical | 21 | (0) |
| Total | 460 | (4) | |
| International career | |||
| 1973 | Scottish League XI[4] | 1 | (0) |
| 1973 | Scotland U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 1973–1982 | Scotland | 62 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1992–1994 | Arbroath | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Daniel Fergus McGrainMBE (born 1 May 1950) is a Scottish former professionalfootballer, who played forCeltic,Hamilton Academical and theScotland national team as aright back. McGrain is regarded as one of Scotland's greatest players and throughout the 1970s and 80s was one of the best full backs in world football; sports writerHugh McIlvanney commented, "Anybody who saw him at his best had the unmistakable impression of watching a great player, probably one who had no superior anywhere in the world."[5]
McGrain began his career at Celtic and was one of the "Quality Street Gang", a group of young players that emerged in the late 1960s. He progressed to the first team and went on to play 659 competitive games for Celtic between 1970 and 1987, winning sevenLeague Championships, fiveScottish Cups and twoScottish League Cups. He spent the final season of his career withHamilton, where he helped win them promotion to thePremier Division. McGrain played in the1974 and1982 World Cups for Scotland. His 62 caps earned him a place in theScotland national football team roll of honour and he was inducted to theScottish Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
After retiring from playing, McGrain had a spell as manager ofArbroath in the early 1990s, and is now currently part of the coaching staff at Celtic.
Born inGlasgow and raised in the city'sDrumchapel area,[6][7] McGrain played forQueen's Park Strollers and also featured for the Scotland Schools team, where he was scouted and signed forCeltic in May 1967, aged 17.[7] He became one of the so-called 'Quality Street Gang', the great Celtic reserve team that also included players such asKenny Dalglish,Lou Macari,Paul Wilson,Davie Hay andGeorge Connelly, who eventually took the places of the ageingLisbon Lions. At first, McGrain was regarded as amidfielder but was utilised in a variety of roles in thereserve side before becoming established as aright-back.[8][7] He had a spell atJunior clubMaryhill to gain experience playing with adults, and also made a fruitless attempt at a college course in engineering prior to becoming a full-time professional.[7]
Having been chosen to accompany the main squad to the1970 European Cup Final along with Dalglish,[6][7] McGrain made his first-team debut for Celtic as a substitute in aScottish League Cup tie againstDundee United atTannadice on 26 August 1970.[9][10] He then went on and made his league debut three days later in the opening fixture againstMorton atCeltic Park.[8][9] McGrain was used sparingly by managerJock Stein in his first couple of seasons in the first team, but the young full-back played well in these games.[8]
Having made only 10 league appearances, McGrain suffered the first serious set-back of his career on 25 March 1972. He sustained afractured skull during a match atBrockville againstFalkirk after a clash of heads with forwardDoug Somner.[8] McGrain, however, made a full recovery and began the following season, 1972–73, as Celtic's first-choice right-back[11] in place ofJim Craig who had left the club at the end of the previous season.[12] McGrain now became a first-team regular and made 30 league appearances that season.[13] He also rose through the ranks at international level, making two appearances for theScotland Under 23 side in the spring of 1973, before finally making his debut at full international level forScotland in May 1973 againstWales atWrexham.[11] McGrain picked up his first winner's medal at the end of the season when Celtic clinched their eighth successive league championship title.[14]
By the mid 1970s, McGrain was considered by many to be one of the best full-backs in the world.[8][15] He played as what is known today as an attacking full-back and contributed significantly in both attacking moves as well as in defence.[5] His abilities included a burst of speed, skill and control on the ball, vision and anticipation and, when required, a strong but fair slidingtackle.[16] He won a further league championship title and aScottish Cup in 1974 and played in theWorld Cup for Scotland that same year.[11] However, McGrain was diagnosed withdiabetes immediately after the World Cup, but with the benefit of medication and a controlled diet and lifestyle, continued to play without adverse effect.[17]
In 1977, McGrain won his second league and cup double.[18] He was also votedPlayer of the Year by theScottish Football Writers' Association.[19] McGrain becamecaptain of Celtic at the start of season 1977–78 in the wake ofKenny Dalglish's departure toLiverpool. However, a troublesome foot injury that medical staff struggled to identify or treat adequately saw McGrain miss most of the season with Celtic. He also missed the1978 World Cup for Scotland.[20] Celtic finished the season trophy-less and failed to qualify forEuropean competition for the first time since the early 1960s.[21][22] McGrain eventually recovered from his mystery foot injury[20] and after a tentative re-introduction into the Celtic team, now managed byBilly McNeill,[23][24][25] played in the club's last 18 league fixtures of the season in the spring of 1979.[26] On his return from injury, a change in his style of play was apparent. There was a noticeable reduction of pace, which in turn was compensated for by a greater reliance on anticipation of play and distribution of the ball.[27] McGrain went on to pick up his fourth league championship medal at the end of that season as Celtic clinched the title with a dramatic 4–2 win overRangers in their final game of the season.[28]
McGrain continued to be a mainstay of the Celtic side during the early to mid 1980s; captaining them to a further three league championships, two Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup,[11] despite also suffering a broken leg in 1981.[6] He made his 600th competitive appearance for Celtic in a 2–0 win overSt Mirren in October 1985. ManagerDavie Hay described him as a "superb player and professional" and said he was "the best tackler on the field" in the match against St Mirren.[29] In the summer of 1986,Airdrie made an approach for McGrain to become their player-manager. Negotiations reached an advanced stage until a last-minute change of heart by the Airdrie board.[11] McGrain remained at Celtic for a further year; playing regularly at the age of 36: he missed only two games in the second half of the season.[11][30] He played his final game for Celtic on 9 May 1987, a league fixture away againstHearts.[30]
In May 1987, McGrain was given a free transfer by Celtic.[1] He joinedHamilton Accies in the summer and helped them win promotion to thePremier Division before finally retiring from playing.[31]
His international career began atScotland Under 23 level on 13 February 1973, with a game againstEngland atKilmarnock.[32] McGrain played alongsideAlan Rough andAsa Hartford in a 1–2 defeat.[33] He won a second cap at Under 23 level a month later away toWales, winning 2–1.[34]
McGrain made hisfull international debut for Scotland on 12 May 1973, in aBritish Home Championship tie againstWales atWrexham, winning 2–0.[11][35] He won a further two caps over the following week in Home Championship ties againstNorthern Ireland andEngland.[36] The game against England saw McGrain fielded in an unfamiliar role at left-back to accommodate another highly rated right-back,Sandy Jardine of Rangers.[37] McGrain would go on to play at left-back for many of his Scotland appearances in the 1970s in order to accommodate the Rangers player, still able to play to the abilities he displayed in his normal role.[16]
McGrain played in eight consecutive internationals for Scotland[11] and was selected byWillie Ormond for the 22 man squad travelling toWest Germany for the1974 World Cup.[38] McGrain played in all three World Cup group matches (Zaire,Brazil andYugoslavia), but despite being undefeated Scotland returned home having failed to qualify for the next phase.[38] This early-exit from the tournament proved fortunate for McGrain, who had been suffering from extreme thirst all through the tournament and had lost 2 stone (12 kg) in weight. On his return to Glasgow, McGrain was diagnosed as beingdiabetic. Had there been any further delay in identification and treatment of his condition, the consequences could have proved fatal.[39] With his illness now being managed, McGrain was able to continue playing football.[39]
McGrain continued to play regularly for Scotland, now being fielded in his more familiar position at right-back, but missed Scotland's ill-fated1978 World Cup campaign in Argentina through injury.[11]
On his recovery from injury in 1979, McGrain regained his place in the Scotland team.[40] He made 16 consecutive international appearances in the run up to the1982 World Cup in Spain. Nowcaptain of the side, McGrain was named inJock Stein's 22 man squad travelling to Spain. He played in Scotland's opening game againstNew Zealand but was dropped for the next match against Brazil. McGrain came on as a substitute forGordon Strachan in Scotland's third game, against theSoviet Union.[11] This transpired to be his final game for Scotland.[11][41]
McGrain is a member of theScotland national football team roll of honour, courtesy of the 62 caps he won during his career.[42]
After retiring from playing, McGrain had a brief spell coaching atClydebank in 1989.[43]
In November 1992 McGrain was appointed manager of Scottish Second Division sideArbroath.[44][45] That season, McGrain led Arbroath to the quarter-finals of theScottish Cup, losing 0–3 at home to eventual winners Rangers.[46] The following season Arbroath played McGrain's former club Celtic in a Scottish League Cup tie and lost 1–9, a record defeat for the club.[46][47] McGrain resigned in January 1994 due to illness.[46][48] In his 14 months atGayfield Park, McGrain became popular with their fans and was followed by a group of supporters known as 'Danny McGrain's Bearded Army'. These supporters attended games wearing tribute T-shirts and stick-on beards, affectionately mimicking McGrain's own trademark beard.[45]
In August 1997 McGrain joined the backroom staff at Celtic, working underWim Jansen.[49] After a spell coaching the under-21 side,[39] he was made first team coach after being promoted byNeil Lennon in October 2012 from theDevelopment Squad.[50]
McGrain is married to Laraine, and the couple have three daughters.[6] His younger brotherTommy was also a footballer who trained with Celtic as a teenager, but he did not break through to the first team and subsequently played forDumbarton.[51][52]
McGrain supportedRangers (Celtic'sGlasgow rivals) as a boy. He wrote two autobiographies, one when his career was at its peak and another shortly after he retired. In both, McGrain (aProtestant) told how he had been spotted by someone doing some scouting for Rangers when he was still a boy but the scout did not recommend him to Rangers, wrongly assuming from his name – Daniel Fergus McGrain – that he was a Catholic and thatRangers would not sign him because of this.[1] However, McGrain has since stated, "I don't know if that story's true. Over the years that followed nobody from Rangers ever told me they wanted to sign me".[53][6]
In the summer of 1974, McGrain was diagnosed as suffering fromdiabetes. He had just returned home from playing for Scotland in the World Cup in West Germany, where he had displayed an excessive thirst and lost 2 stones (12 kg) in weight. Despite his condition, McGrain was able to continue playing top-level football. In March 2002 McGrain was found bypolice in the south side of Glasgow, slumped unconscious in the driver's seat of his car. He had entered ahypoglycaemic state, where the brain is drained of sugar and causes the body to shut down to conserve what little there is left. The officers revived McGrain and fed him a sugary sweet. Had McGrain not been found in time he would have suffered brain damage and possibly died. However, he made a full recovery and commented "There was no harm done in the end."[54]
In the1983 New Year Honours, McGrain was appointedMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to association football in Scotland.[55] Theinvestiture was performed by theQueen Mother (theQueen was on tour in America), atBuckingham Palace.[56]
In 2002,Celtic supporters voted for what they considered to be the greatest Celtic XI of all time. McGrain was voted into the team, which was;Simpson, McGrain,Gemmell,Murdoch,McNeill,Auld,Johnstone,P. McStay,Dalglish,Larsson andLennox.[57] He was an inaugural inductee to theScottish Football Hall of Fame in 2004,[58]
McGrain is the vice patron of Football Aid, a Scottish charity fund-raising organisation.[59] He has been involved with them since their inception in 2000, and was appointed vice patron in 2004.[60]
In 1996, Glasgow rock band Big Wednesday celebrated McGrain in music in their single "Sliding in like McGrain".[61] McGrain appeared on television with the group as part of the promotional activities.[62]
| Club | Season | League | Scottish Cup | Scottish League Cup | Europe | Other[a] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Celtic | 1970–71 | Scottish Division One | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 1971–72 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1972–73 | 30 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 0 | ||
| 1973–74 | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 54 | 1 | ||
| 1974–75 | 30 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 47 | 1 | ||
| 1975–76 | Scottish Premier Division | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 1 | |
| 1976–77 | 36 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 1 | ||
| 1977–78 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| 1978–79 | 18 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 2 | ||
| 1979–80 | 34 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 54 | 0 | ||
| 1980–81 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 0 | ||
| 1981–82 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 1 | ||
| 1982–83 | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 2 | ||
| 1983–84 | 33 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 0 | ||
| 1984–85 | 30 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 0 | ||
| 1985–86 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ||
| 1986–87 | 26 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| Total | 439 | 4 | 60 | 1 | 106 | 3 | 54 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 681 | 9 | ||
| Hamilton Academical | 1987–88 | Scottish First Division | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Career total | 460 | 4 | 60 | 1 | 107 | 3 | 54 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 703 | 9 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 1973 | 8 | 0 |
| 1974 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1975 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1976 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1977 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1978 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1979 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1980 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1981 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1982 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 62 | 0 | |
Hamilton Academical
Arbroath
 | ||
