 Wilson with Celtic in 2007 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Wilson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-06-05)5 June 1984 (age 41)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Partick Thistle (Head Coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2002 | Dundee United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2006 | Dundee United | 117 | (8) |
| 2006–2012 | Celtic | 98 | (2) |
| 2012–2013 | Bristol City | 8 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Dundee United | 14 | (0) |
| 2015 | Dumbarton | 11 | (1) |
| Total | 248 | (11) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2006 | Scotland U21[3] | 19 | (0) |
| 2011 | Scotland | 1 | (0) |
| 2005 | Scotland B | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2016–2017 | Airdrieonians | ||
| 2019–2020 | Brechin City | ||
| 2025– | Partick Thistle | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Mark Wilson (born 5 June 1984) is a Scottish exfootball player and current head coach ofPartick Thistle. He also works as apundit and onClyde 1Superscoreboard.[4]
Wilson, who played as aright-back, started his career atDundee United. He broke into their first team in the2002–03 season, and made over 100 league appearances for United before He moved toCeltic in January 2006 for a fee of £500,000. Wilson suffered significant injury problems while with Celtic, which limited his appearances, and he was released at the end of his contract in 2012. He then signed forEnglish Championship clubBristol City before rejoining his first club on a short-term contract in 2013. He left Dundee United in January 2015, signing forDumbarton the following month.
Wilson represented Scotland at all youth levels and captained theunder-21 team. He played once for theScotland national football team, in 2011.
He retired from playing football in 2015. Wilson was thehead coach ofScottish League One clubAirdrieonians during most of the 2016–17 season. He was appointedBrechin City manager in September 2019, but was sacked from this position in October 2020.
Wilson is now the head coach ofPartick Thistle.
Mark Wilson was born inGlasgow on 5 June 1984. He attendedSt Ambrose High School inCoatbridge.[5]
Wilson started his career withDundee United. He joined as a youth player, turned professional in 2000 and made his senior début in January 2002. Signing a new two-year contract just months later,[6] he began the next season as a regular. Wilson scored his first goal in December 2002, a header opening the scoring in a 1–1 home league draw againstHibernian.[7] Five days later, Wilson was announced as theSPL Young Player of the Month for November, saying it was a "great honour to be given this award".[8] Before the end of that season, Wilson signed a new three-year contract, committing himself to the club until the end of the2005–06 season.[9]
In November 2004, Wilson was wrongly sent off in thederby match againstDundee, being mistakenly penalised for handball when television evidence showed he headed the ball. However,SFA rules dictated that, despite the error, an appeal could not proceed, as such appeals can only proceed on the basis of violent conduct or mistaken identity.[10] The decision not to overturn the dismissal – the first of Wilson's career – drew criticism from journalists, being dubbed a "huge mistake".[11]
Wilson's international exploits were attracting further attention and after being confirmed in April 2005 as one of the nominees for theSPFA Young Player of the Year award,[12]Manchester City were confirmed as planning a move to sign the defender, just one of "several Premier League club" showing an interest.[13] Despite the renewed interest from England, Wilson confirmed he would like to "stay...for the foreseeable future",[14] and signed a new two-year contract in August 2005, extending his stay until the summer of 2008.[15]
In early January 2006, it emerged thatWolverhampton Wanderers managerGlenn Hoddle had shown interest in Wilson during the summer andHeart of Midlothian had made an "active enquiry", withCeltic andLeeds United also showing an interest in the player who had a £500,000 release clause inserted in his new contract.[16] By the middle of the month, Celtic were rumoured to be close to completing the signing of Wilson[17] and on 16 January, Wilson signed for the club his family had "supported all their life". Signing for £500,000, Wilson received 25% of the fee under the terms of his contract.[18] He made his debut two weeks later, against Dundee United, playing at right-back in the 3–3 home draw.[19] Wilson suffered a number of injuries in his first full season at Celtic: a broken foot,[20] knee injury[21] and subsequent knee operation.[22] He was also cup-tied for Celtic's victory in the2006 Scottish League Cup Final.[23]
Wilson became more of a regular in the Celtic side under the management ofNeil Lennon. On 1 February 2011, he scored his first goal for Celtic in a 3–0 victory againstAberdeen atPittodrie Stadium.[24] He got his second goal just 12 days later when he put Celtic 2–0 ahead against his former clubDundee United at Tannadice. On 2 March 2011 during theScottish Cup fifth round replay againstRangers atCeltic Park, Wilson scored the only goal in an ill-temperedOld Firm fixture with Rangers receiving three red cards.[25]
It was reported on 30 January 2012 that Wilson was in talks withLeeds United over a potential loan for the remainder of the 2011–12 season, but no deal materialised. On 3 May, Wilson captained Celtic in their 1–0 win againstSt Johnstone. After the game it was revealed that Wilson would be leaving the club at the end of the season so had been given the captaincy for his last match.[26]
Wilson played as a trialist forBristol City in a pre-season friendly on 30 July 2012.[27] He signed a short-term contract with the club on 16 August.[28]
Wilson was released by Bristol City at the end of the 2012–13 Championship season, along with another defenderMatthew Bates.[29]
On 20 August 2013, it was announced by Dundee United that Wilson had rejoined his first senior club, initially on a short-term contract until January 2014.[30] Wilson previously stated he could not rule out returning to the club, stating that Dundee United is "always in my heart".[31]
After six months with the club, Wilson signed an 18-month contract with the club.[32] On 12 April 2014, he started in theScottish Cup Semi Final atIbrox. United beat Rangers 3–1 to progress to the Scottish Cup Final.
On 13 January 2015, Dundee United announced that Wilson was leaving the club, with his contract being terminated by mutual consent.[33]
On 12 February 2015, Wilson signed forDumbarton on a contract until the end of the2014–15 season.[34]
He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 defeat toRangers with a volley from the edge of the box.[35] He left the club in June 2015.[36]
Wilson appeared over 30 times for his country in youth internationals up to and including under-21 level. He featured in the2001 UEFA Under-16 Championship.[37] In February 2004, Wilson won the first of his nineteen caps for theScotland under-21 side, starting in the 2–1 friendly defeat at home toHungary under-21.[38] Wilson was named in theScotland Future squad to faceGermany B in December 2004.[39] He started the game, which ended in a 3–0 defeat for Scotland.[40]
Wilson believed that his move toCeltic would enhance his chances of selection for the full national side, but these hopes were denied by a succession of injuries that limited his appearances for Celtic.[41] He was selected byCraig Levein for a friendly game against theFaroe Islands in November 2010, but withdrew due to injury.[41]
Wilson was again named in theScotland squad in February 2011.[41][42] Wilson won his first international cap when he replacedPhil Bardsley during theNations Cup match againstNorthern Ireland.[43]
AfterKevin McBride departedScottish League One clubAirdrieonians, Wilson was then appointedHead coach on 31 October 2016.[44] Wilson was in charge of first-team affairs, working under theDirector of football,Gordon Dalziel.[45] His first game in charge resulted in a 2–1 win atCliftonhill stadium againstAlbion Rovers. Airdrie finished third in2016–17 Scottish League One, but were defeated in the promotion playoffs byAlloa Athletic. Wilson left Airdrie in June 2017, by mutual consent.[46]
On 4 September 2019, Wilson was appointed manager ofLeague Two sideBrechin City.[47][48] Brechin finished last in the curtailed2019–20 Scottish League Two season, but avoided a relegation playoff as it was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[49] Wilson was sacked by Brechin after a bad start to the 2020–21 season.[50][51]
Wilson worked forPartick Thistle as an under-18 coach, and in February 2025 he was made interim manager of the first team alongside club captainBrian Graham.[52][53]
On 30 May 2025, Wilson was appointed head coach on a permanent basis.[54]
In Wilson's first game in permanent charge he guided Thistle to a 4–1 away victory over Edinburgh City in the Scottish League Cup group stages.[55]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Dundee United | 2001–02 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 1 | ||
| 2003–04 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 3 | ||
| 2004–05 | 37 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 7 | ||
| 2005–06 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| Total | 117 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 138 | 11 | ||
| Celtic | 2005–06 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | 25 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 3 | ||
| 2011–12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Total | 98 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 131 | 3 | ||
| Bristol City | 2012–13 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| Dundee United | 2013–14 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| 2014–15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Dumbarton | 2014–15 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| Career total | 248 | 11 | 20 | 3 | 19 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 308 | 15 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Airdrieonians | October 2016 | June 2017 | 28 | 12 | 2 | 14 | 042.86 |
| Brechin City | September 2019 | October 2020 | 29 | 3 | 6 | 20 | 010.34 |
| Partick Thistle | 18 February 2025 | Present | 37 | 20 | 9 | 8 | 054.05 |
| Total | 94 | 35 | 17 | 42 | 037.23 | ||
Dundee United
Celtic
Scotland Youth
Individual
