Allan McGregor facts for kids
McGregor with Rangers in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 31 January 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 2002–2003 | Scotland U21 | 6 | (0) |
| 2004 | Scotland B | 1 | (0) |
| 2007–2018 | Scotland | 42 | (0) |
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Allan James McGregor, born on January 31, 1982, is a famous Scottish former football player. He was a goalkeeper. Allan played for many teams like Rangers, St Johnstone, Dunfermline Athletic, Beşiktaş in Turkey, Hull City in England, and Cardiff City in Wales. He also played 42 times for his country, Scotland.
Allan started playing football at a young age with Hutchison Vale in Edinburgh. He first played for Rangers' main team in February 2002. This was in a Scottish Cup match against Forfar Athletic. Later, he was loaned to St Johnstone and Dunfermline Athletic to get more experience. He became a regular player for Rangers in the 2006–07 season.
McGregor played over 200 games for Rangers in his first time there. He won 11 big trophies, including three league titles in a row from 2009 to 2011. He also won three Scottish Cups and five Scottish League Cups.
In 2012, Rangers faced financial problems. Allan McGregor became a free agent and joined Beşiktaş in Turkey. After one season, he moved to Hull City in England. In May 2018, Allan returned to Rangers for a second time. He played for five more seasons and helped them win another league title in 2021. He stopped playing football in 2023.
Allan McGregor played his first full international game for Scotland in May 2007. He played 42 games for Scotland in total. He announced he was retiring from international football in March 2019.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Rangers
Early Days and First Games
Allan McGregor joined Rangers on July 14, 1998. Early in his career, he had some bad luck with injuries. He hurt his wrist and then broke his hand, which kept him from playing for almost a year. This slowed down his progress. But when he came back, he became a regular player for the reserve team.
McGregor was first part of the senior team in January 1999 when he was just 16. He made his first team debut in February 2002. This was in a Scottish Cup game against Forfar Athletic. He also played his first Scottish Premier League game against Aberdeen when he was 20. In the 2002–03 season, he was often a substitute but did not play any games. The next season, he played six games, including two in the Scottish League Cup.
Loan Spells to Gain Experience
In the 2004–05 season, McGregor was loaned to St Johnstone. This was a team in the First Division. He played his first game for them in a Scottish Challenge Cup match. Allan played very well for St Johnstone and kept six clean sheets in a row. A "clean sheet" means the goalkeeper stops the other team from scoring any goals. He was even named the SFL Player of the Month in December 2004. He played 24 games for St Johnstone 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, was injured. Allan played well, but the manager signed another goalkeeper, Ronald Waterreus. This made McGregor upset.
For the 2005–06 season, Rangers still had Waterreus and Klos. This meant McGregor was the third-choice goalkeeper. So, Dunfermline Athletic signed him on loan for the season. 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, but they lost to Celtic. He played 31 games for Dunfermline and kept seven clean sheets.
Becoming Rangers' Main Goalkeeper
When Paul Le Guen became the new manager at Rangers, McGregor was initially third choice. But an injury to Stefan Klos meant Allan started the 2006–07 season as backup to Lionel Letizi. When Letizi also got injured, McGregor played the next game. This was a 2–2 draw against Kilmarnock. Allan played so well in a UEFA Cup qualifying match that he won the man of the match award. He was also named the Scottish Premier League Player of the Month for September. He then signed a new contract. Even though he played well, the manager still saw him as second choice. But when Letizi got injured again, McGregor returned and was confirmed as the main goalkeeper.
Later in the 2006–07 season, McGregor was sent off during a UEFA Cup game. This was against Hapoel Tel Aviv. Rangers won the game 4–0. Allan was given a two-match ban, which was later reduced to one game. At the end of his first season as the main keeper, his Rangers teammates voted him as their Player's Player of the Year. In September 2007, McGregor signed a new 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 the 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 even though he was limping with an injury. He had to leave the game soon after and missed the rest of the season due to injury. This meant he missed the 2008 Scottish Cup final and Rangers' run to the 2008 UEFA Cup final.
In June 2008, McGregor signed another new contract, keeping him at the club until 2013. In the first game of the 2008–09 season, McGregor saved a penalty, and Rangers won 1–0. He even captained the team for the first league game of the season. Allan was a regular player until an incident that led to him being dropped by both his club and country. He played his last game of that season on March 21. McGregor played 27 league games in the 2008–09 season and won an SPL winner's medal.
In the 2009–10 season, McGregor was back as the main goalkeeper for Rangers. He played 46 games and won the Scottish League Cup and the SPL championship. The manager, Walter Smith, decided to let Neil Alexander play all the League Cup games. This continued the next season.
In October 2010, McGregor was given a one-match ban for kicking out at an Aberdeen player, even though he didn't make contact. In April 2011, McGregor saved a penalty against Hamilton, helping Rangers win 1–0. He 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 of the season. He saved a penalty with only 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 SPL games that season.
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 domestic games. In the first Old Firm game of the season, McGregor made a mistake that led to a goal for Celtic. But Rangers still won the match 4–2. His manager, Ally McCoist, praised McGregor for stopping a goal in their 1–0 win over Hibernian in October 2011.
Rangers faced serious financial problems in February 2012. The club was eventually closed down. Allan McGregor, like other players, became a free agent.
Playing Abroad: Beşiktaş and Hull City
On July 26, 2012, McGregor joined the Turkish club Beşiktaş. He signed a two-year contract. Allan was a regular player and helped Beşiktaş finish third in the Turkish Süper Lig.
On July 2, 2013, McGregor signed with 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 made up for it by saving the penalty kick! On May 17, 2014, he played in the 2014 FA Cup final against Arsenal. Hull City lost the 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 City in the summer of 2018 after turning down a new contract offer.
Return to Rangers and Retirement
In May 2018, McGregor accepted a two-year contract offer to return to 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 important Old Firm derby game on December 29, 2019, McGregor saved a penalty from Ryan Christie. Rangers won the game 2–1. This was their first win at Celtic Park since October 2010.
In early December 2020, McGregor set a new club record for appearances in UEFA competitions. By the end of the month, he had played his 400th game for Rangers across his two times at the club. 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. He then played as a substitute in their 2022 Scottish Cup final victory against Hearts.
On June 20, 2022, McGregor signed a new one-year contract with Rangers. He started the season as second choice. But he became the main goalkeeper again after the first-choice keeper made some mistakes. He played his 500th game for Rangers 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, against Newcastle United at Ibrox.
International Career for Scotland
McGregor played six times for the under-21 team before playing for the senior national team.
On January 30, 2007, former Rangers manager Alex McLeish chose McGregor for his first Scotland squad. Allan made his international debut against Austria on May 30, 2007. He played the first half in goal. McGregor got his second cap for Scotland in August 2008. He came on as a substitute in a friendly game. He gave away a penalty but then saved it! The game ended in a 0–0 draw. McGregor was the first-choice goalkeeper for a friendly match against Argentina in November 2008. Scotland lost 1–0, but McGregor made many great saves. He made his first competitive start for Scotland in a World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands.
In August 2010, McGregor was called back to the national team for a friendly game against Sweden. Scotland lost 3–0, but McGregor made many important saves.
McGregor was named the first-choice goalkeeper for Scotland's Euro 2012 qualifying matches 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. He also won the man of the match award for his performance against Spain. A Spanish player said McGregor was a "world class goalkeeper" and made "amazing saves."
McGregor remained the first-choice goalkeeper for Scotland in 2011. He was praised by the Scotland manager, Craig Levein, as being an "absolute diamond." McGregor received the Scottish Sports Writers International Player of the Year award for the 2010–11 season.
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.
Personal Life
Allan McGregor married his fiancée Cheryl Dunn in November 2020. The wedding was held at Loch Lomond Golf Club. His former Rangers and Scotland teammate Alan Hutton was his best man.
Honours and Awards
Hull City
- Won the Football League Championship play-offs: 2016
- Was runner-up in the FA Cup: 2013–14
Rangers
- Won the Scottish Premier League / Scottish Premiership: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2020–21
- Won the Scottish Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2008–09, 2021–22
- Won the Scottish League Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11
- Was runner-up in the Scottish League Cup: 2008–09, 2019–20
- Was runner-up in the UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League: 2007–08, 2021–22
Scotland U16s
- Won the Victory Shield: 1997–98
Individual Awards
- Scottish Premier League Player of the Month: September 2006, April 2011
- Named in the 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
- Inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame: 2023
Images for kids
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McGregor playing for Hull City in 2013
See also
In Spanish: Allan McGregor para niños
