Allan McGregor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Allan McGregor

McGregor in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Allan James McGregor
Date of birth	(1982-01-31) 31 January 1982 (age 43)
Place of birth	Edinburgh, Scotland
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Rangers (interim goalkeeping coach)
Youth career
1989–1995	Hutchison Vale
1998–2001	Rangers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2012	Rangers	205	(0)
2004–2005	→ St Johnstone (loan)	20	(0)
2005–2006	→ Dunfermline Athletic (loan)	26	(0)
2012–2013	Beşiktaş	27	(0)
2013–2018	Hull City	141	(0)
2017	→ Cardiff City (loan)	19	(0)
2018–2023	Rangers	141	(0)
Total		579	(0)
International career
2002–2003	Scotland U21	6	(0)
2004	Scotland B	1	(0)
2007–2018	Scotland	42	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:16, 24 May 2023 (UTC)

Allan James McGregor, born on January 31, 1982, is a Scottish former professional footballer. He is now a goalkeeping coach at Rangers. McGregor played as a goalkeeper for many teams. These include Rangers, St Johnstone, Dunfermline Athletic, Turkish team Beşiktaş, English club Hull City, and Welsh side Cardiff City. He also played 42 times for the Scotland national team.

Allan started his football journey at Hutchison Vale, a youth club in Edinburgh. He made his first team debut for Rangers in February 2002. This was in a Scottish Cup match against Forfar Athletic. He later played on loan for St Johnstone and Dunfermline Athletic. McGregor then became a regular player for Rangers in the 2006–07 season. He played over 200 games for Rangers. During this time, he won 11 major trophies. These included three league titles in a row (2009, 2010, 2011), three Scottish Cups, and five Scottish League Cups.

After Rangers faced financial difficulties in 2012, McGregor became a free agent. He then signed a two-year contract with Beşiktaş in Turkey. After one season, he moved to Hull City. In May 2018, McGregor returned to Rangers. He signed a two-year contract. He played five more seasons there, winning another league title in 2021. McGregor stopped playing professional football in 2023.

McGregor played his first full international game for Scotland in May 2007. In 2009, he faced a suspension from the national team due to discipline issues. However, the ban was later lifted by Scotland manager Craig Levein. He played 42 games for Scotland in total. Allan announced he was retiring from international football in March 2019.

Playing Career Highlights

Club Football Journey

Starting at Rangers

McGregor joined Rangers on July 14, 1998. Early in his career, he had some bad luck with injuries. He broke his wrist and then his hand, which kept him out for almost a year. But he worked hard and became a regular player for the reserve team.

Allan first joined a senior match squad in January 1999 when he was 16. He played his first game for the first team in February 2002. This was a Scottish Cup match against Forfar Athletic. He made his Scottish Premier League debut against Aberdeen when he was 20. In the 2002–03 season, McGregor was a substitute in every game. Rangers won three trophies that year. The next season, he played six games.

Loan Spells and Return

In the 2004–05 season, McGregor was loaned to St Johnstone. He played his first game for them in a Scottish Challenge Cup match. McGregor played very well for St Johnstone. He kept six clean sheets in a row, meaning he didn't let any goals in. He was even named the SFL Player of the Month in December 2004. He played 24 games for the club and kept 11 clean sheets.

When he returned to Rangers in January 2005, McGregor became the main goalkeeper. This happened because the first-choice keeper, Stefan Klos, got injured. McGregor played well, but the manager signed another goalkeeper, Ronald Waterreus. This made McGregor unhappy.

For the 2005–06 season, Rangers had two other goalkeepers. So, Dunfermline Athletic signed McGregor on loan. He played his first game for them in a 3–2 loss to Kilmarnock. McGregor also played for Dunfermline in the 2006 Scottish League Cup final, where they lost to Celtic. He played 31 games for Dunfermline and kept seven clean sheets.

Becoming Rangers' Number One

When Paul Le Guen became Rangers manager, McGregor was initially third-choice goalkeeper. But then, the first-choice keeper, Stefan Klos, got injured. McGregor became the backup to Lionel Letizi. When Letizi also got injured, McGregor started the next game. This was a 2–2 draw against Kilmarnock. McGregor played so well in a UEFA Cup game that he won the man of the match award. He also won the Scottish Premier League Player of the Month for September. He then signed a new contract. Even when Letizi returned, McGregor became the main goalkeeper for Rangers.

Later in the 2006–07 season, McGregor was sent off in a UEFA Cup match against Hapoel Tel Aviv. Rangers won the game 4–0. McGregor denied headbutting an opponent, and his ban was reduced to one game. At the end of his first season as the main keeper, his teammates voted him Player's Player of the Year. In September 2007, McGregor signed another four-year contract with Rangers.

He remained Rangers' top goalkeeper the next season. Rangers reached the quarter-finals of the 2008 UEFA Cup. McGregor's great performance in one game earned praise from his manager. He played his 100th game for Rangers in March 2008. In the 2008 Scottish League Cup final, the game went to penalty kicks. McGregor saved two penalties, and Rangers won the cup. In another important league game, McGregor saved a penalty while he was injured. He had to leave the game soon after. He missed the rest of that season due to injury. This meant he missed the 2008 Scottish Cup final and Rangers' run to the 2008 UEFA Cup final.

McGregor signed another new contract in June 2008, keeping him at the club until 2013. In the first game of the 2008–09 season, McGregor saved a penalty. Rangers won that game 1–0. McGregor even became captain for the first league game of the season. This was because the usual captain and other senior players were not available. He played regularly until an incident that led to him being dropped by both his club and country. Neil Alexander took his place as Rangers' main goalkeeper. McGregor played 27 league games that season and won an SPL winner's medal.

In the 2009–10 season, McGregor became the main goalkeeper for Rangers again. He played 46 games and won the Scottish League Cup and the SPL championship. The manager decided that Neil Alexander would play all the League Cup games, a decision that continued the next season.

In October 2010, McGregor received a one-match ban for kicking out at an Aberdeen player. In April 2011, McGregor saved a penalty against Hamilton. Rangers won that game 1–0. McGregor was praised for his performances in the second half of the 2010–11 season. He won the SPL player of the month award for April. This included five clean sheets and a great performance in the final Old Firm game. He saved a penalty with eight minutes left. Rangers won the SPL championship for the third time in a row by just one point. McGregor kept 22 clean sheets in 36 league games that season. He said he wanted to sign a new contract.

On July 4, 2011, Rangers announced that McGregor had signed a new six-year contract. McGregor started the first nine games of the 2011–12 season. He only let in one goal in the league. In the first Old Firm game of the season, McGregor made a mistake that led to a Celtic goal. But Rangers still won the match 4–2. His manager praised him for preventing a goal in a 1–0 win over Hibernian in October 2011.

Rangers faced financial problems in February 2012. The club was later closed down. McGregor used his legal rights to become a free agent.

Moving to Beşiktaş

On July 26, 2012, McGregor joined Turkish club Beşiktaş. He signed a two-year contract. McGregor was a regular player and helped Beşiktaş finish third in the Turkish Süper Lig.

Time at Hull City

McGregor playing for Hull City in 2013

On July 2, 2013, McGregor signed for Hull City for £1.5 million. He signed a three-year contract. He played his first game on the first day of the 2013–14 season. This was a 2–0 loss away at Chelsea. Five minutes into the game, McGregor gave away a penalty. But he saved the penalty kick from Frank Lampard. Later, Lampard scored from a free-kick. On May 17, 2014, McGregor played in the 2014 FA Cup final against Arsenal. Hull City lost that game 3–2.

During the 2016–17 season, McGregor was recovering from a back injury. This meant he was not the first-choice goalkeeper. He was loaned to Cardiff City in January 2017 to get back in shape. He kept a clean sheet in his first game for Cardiff. This was a 1–0 win over Burton Albion on January 21, 2017. He left Hull in the summer of 2018 after turning down a new contract.

Second Spell at Rangers

In May 2018, McGregor agreed to a two-year contract with Rangers. At the end of the 2018–19 season, he was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year. This was his fourth time receiving this honor.

In the first half of the 2019–20 season, McGregor helped Rangers get through their Europa League group. In December 2019, Rangers and McGregor agreed to extend his contract by another year. In an Old Firm derby game on December 29, 2019, McGregor saved a penalty from Ryan Christie. Rangers won the match 2–1. This was their first win at Celtic Park since October 2010.

In early December 2020, McGregor set a club record for games played in UEFA competitions. At the end of the month, he played his 400th game for Rangers across his two spells. McGregor was praised for his performance in a 1–0 Old Firm win against Celtic on January 2, 2021. He made a fantastic fingertip save from Leigh Griffiths. McGregor helped Rangers reach the 2022 UEFA Europa League final. They lost the final on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt. He then came on as a substitute in their 2022 Scottish Cup final win against Hearts.

On June 20, 2022, McGregor signed a new one-year contract with Rangers. He started the season as second choice to Jon McLaughlin. He had to wait until late August to play his first game. This was a League Cup match against Queen of the South. The next month, McGregor became the starting goalkeeper again. This happened after McLaughlin made some mistakes in games against Celtic and Ajax. After that, McGregor was mostly chosen as the first-choice goalkeeper for the rest of the season. This included playing in five more UEFA Champions League group stage matches. This increased his record number of European appearances for Rangers to 109. McGregor played his 500th competitive game for Rangers in a league match against Dundee United on April 1, 2023.

Rangers announced on May 23, 2023, that McGregor would leave the club at the end of the 2022–23 season. A special match was played for McGregor on July 18, 2023. Rangers played against Newcastle United at Ibrox.

International Career

McGregor played six times for the under-21 team. Then he played for the senior national team.

On January 30, 2007, former Rangers manager Alex McLeish picked McGregor for his first Scotland squad. McGregor played his first international game against Austria on May 30, 2007. He played the first half before being substituted. McGregor played his second game for Scotland as a substitute in a friendly against Northern Ireland in August 2008. He gave away a penalty but saved the shot. The game ended in a 0–0 draw. McGregor was then the first-choice goalkeeper for a friendly match against Argentina in November 2008. Scotland lost 1–0, but McGregor made many great saves. McGregor made his first competitive start for Scotland in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands.

On April 3, 2009, McGregor was banned from playing for Scotland again. This was due to discipline issues. After a game against the Netherlands, McGregor and his teammate Barry Ferguson were dropped from the next match. This incident was called Boozegate by the media. The players made gestures to cameras when they were substitutes in the next game. This led the Scottish Football Association to ban them from the national team. McGregor later apologized and was fined by Rangers. McGregor was almost called back to the national team by manager Craig Levein. But he was left out after an incident in Glasgow. On August 2, 2010, McGregor was called back to the national team for a friendly game against Sweden. He made many important saves in that game.

McGregor was named the first-choice goalkeeper for Scotland's Euro 2012 qualifying games in 2010. He started the first two games. In a qualifying match against the Czech Republic, McGregor was named the Man of the match, even though Scotland lost 1–0. McGregor also won the man of the match award for his performance against Spain. Spain won 3–2, but their player Pablo Hernandez said McGregor was a world-class goalkeeper.

McGregor remained the first-choice goalkeeper for Scotland. He played in a friendly against Brazil in March 2011. Scotland lost 2–0. He was then chosen for Scotland's first game in the Nations Cup. Before the second game, the Scotland manager praised McGregor. McGregor then played his 12th and 13th games for Scotland. McGregor won the Scottish Sports Writers International Player of the Year award for the 2010–11 season.

McGregor started two international games in August and September 2011. But he was criticized for a mistake in a friendly game against Denmark.

McGregor announced he was retiring from international football in March 2019. He had played 42 games for Scotland. His last game was in a 2018–19 UEFA Nations League match against Israel. He made an important save late in the game to help Scotland win 3–2.

Coaching Role

On February 24, 2025, McGregor became the interim goalkeeping coach at Scottish Premiership side Rangers. He worked under interim Head Coach and former Rangers teammate Barry Ferguson. This happened after the previous coach was dismissed.

Personal Life

Allan McGregor married his fiancée Cheryl Dunn in November 2020. The ceremony took place at Loch Lomond Golf Club. His former Rangers and Scotland teammate Alan Hutton was his best man.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Honours and Awards

Rangers

• Scottish Premier League / Scottish Premiership: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2020–21
• Scottish Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2008–09, 2021–22
• Scottish League Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11
• UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2007–08, 2021–22

Hull City

• Football League Championship play-offs: 2016
• FA Cup runner-up: 2013–14

Scotland U16s

• Victory Shield: 1997–98

Individual Awards

• Scottish Premier League Player of the Month: September 2006, April 2011
• PFA Scotland Team of the Year: 2008–09 SPL, 2009–10 SPL, 2010–11 SPL, 2018–19 Scottish Premiership, 2020–21 Scottish Premiership
• SFWA International Player of the Year: 2010–11
• SPFL Premiership Player of the Year: 2020–21
• Rangers Hall of Fame: 2023

See also

In Spanish: Allan McGregor para niños