Rarely does any footballer stay at one club for their entire career. But Paul McStay spent all of 16 years in football at Celtic, scoring 72 goals in 678 appearances.
A Different Era
When McStay made his debut for Celtic in January 1982, Scottish football was very different from how it is today. The national team qualified for five consecutive World Cups between 1974 and 1990, and many of the best Scottish players were plying their trade in England’s top division. The likes of Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness were playing in a Liverpool team that was dominating Europe.
Closer to home, the Glasgow stranglehold on the domestic game was not as strong as it is today. Celtic and Rangers were challenged by Dundee United who won the league in 1983, and Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen side. Check the latest football odds in Scotland and you’ll see Celtic are clear favourites to win the league. In the early 80s, the Premier Division was more competitive.
Scottish Exports
Competitive football wasn’t always enough to encourage the top players to stay in Scotland. Kenny Dalglish and Charlie Nicholas were two high-profile players who chose to leave Celtic around that time to play in England.
It was also a time in which top players, for example, Steve Archibald, were being signed by Europe’s elite clubs. McStay must have been tempted to move on and give himself a new challenge, and there was certainly no shortage of interest in the elegant midfielder. But McStay wasn’t tempted away from the club which two of his great-uncles had also represented.
Here to McStay
Throughout the early 80s, McStay had established himself as a driving force in the Celtic midfield, his passing and technical ability marking him out as another player who might move away from Scotland.
Indeed, rumours circulated during the early days of his career that there was interest in him from major clubs in Italy. In 1987, already the winner of two Premier Division titles and three domestic trophies, McStay signed a new five-year contract that committed the best years of his career to the club.
The following season, he was named Scottish football’s player of the season as he inspired Celtic to a league and cup double, despite heavy investment by their city rivals. Three years later, when another club legend, Roy Aitken, left to join Newcastle, McStay was named club captain. He retained the armband until his retirement in 1987.
On the World Stage
For all their success domestically, Celtic were never able to make their mark in Europe during McStay’s time at the club. It was the only aspect of his career in which he never managed to shine.
But he enjoyed a 14-year international journey, playing 76 times for Scotland, including participating in two World Cups, scoring 9 times.
Where is Paul McStay Now?
While he couldn’t be tempted away from Glasgow as a player, in retirement McStay was more than happy to up and leave. He moved to Australia in 2010 and still lives in Sydney with his wife and their six children.
After hanging up his boots, McStay chartered a new career in creative software. He now runs his own business that offers software solutions for grassroots sports.
