Malky Mackay facts for kids
Mackay as manager of Cardiff City in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Malcolm George Mackay | ||
| Date of birth | 19 February 1972 | ||
| Place of birth | Bellshill, Scotland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Hibernian (sporting director) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Queen's Park | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1990–1993 | Queen's Park | 70 | (6) |
| 1993–1998 | Celtic | 34 | (4) |
| 1998 | → Norwich City (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 1998–2004 | Norwich City | 212 | (15) |
| 2004–2005 | West Ham United | 18 | (2) |
| 2005–2008 | Watford | 52 | (3) |
| Total | 387 | (30) | |
| National team | |||
| 2004 | Scotland | 5 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2008 | Watford (caretaker) | ||
| 2009–2011 | Watford | ||
| 2011–2013 | Cardiff City | ||
| 2014–2015 | Wigan Athletic | ||
| 2017–2018 | Scotland (caretaker) | ||
| 2021–2023 | Ross County | ||
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Malcolm George Mackay (born 19 February 1972) is a Scottish football coach and former player. He is currently the sporting director at Scottish Premiership club Hibernian.
Mackay played as a defender. He started his playing career in Scotland with Queen's Park and Celtic. In 1998, he moved to England and joined Norwich City. Between 2004 and 2006, he helped Norwich, West Ham United, and Watford get promoted to the Premier League. Near the end of his playing career, Mackay played five times for the Scotland national team.
After he stopped playing in 2008, he became a manager. He managed Watford from 2009 to 2011. He then managed Cardiff City from 2011 to 2013. He helped Cardiff get promoted to the Premier League in 2013. Later, he managed Wigan Athletic and Ross County. He also worked for the Scottish Football Association.
Contents
Malky Mackay's Football Journey
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Scotland
Malky Mackay was born in Bellshill, Scotland. He began his football journey in the youth teams of Queen's Park. In 1993, he joined Celtic. He played his first game for Celtic on 13 May 1995. This was an away win against Dundee United.
He scored his first goal for Celtic in April 1996. It was in a 4–2 win against Partick Thistle. Mackay played 46 games for Celtic over five years. In September 1998, he moved to England. He joined Norwich City after a short loan spell.
Success with Norwich City
Mackay spent six years at Norwich City. In the 2001–02 season, Norwich fans voted him as the second-best player of the year. In the 2003–04 season, Norwich won the Division One title. This meant they were promoted to the Premier League. Mackay was also named in the Division One Team of the Year for that season. He even scored two goals for Norwich in a big game against Ipswich Town.
Moving to West Ham United
After leaving Norwich, Mackay joined West Ham United in September 2004. He played 18 league games for the team. West Ham reached the play-offs that season. They beat Preston North End in the final. This win helped them get promoted to the Premier League.
Time at Watford
Mackay then joined Watford for free. He quickly became a key player for the team. He was known for his strong defending and scoring important goals. One of his goals was against Luton Town, a big rival, in a 2–1 win. In the 2005–06 season, Mackay achieved something special. He was promoted to the Premier League for the third year in a row! Watford beat Leeds United 3–0 in the play-off final.
Watford's manager, Aidy Boothroyd, promised Mackay he would play in the Premier League. He made 14 appearances in the 2006–07 season. In January 2007, Mackay started coaching. He became a first team coach at Watford. He played his last first-team game in January 2008. In November 2008, he became the caretaker manager for Watford for a short time.
Playing for Scotland
When he was 32, Malky Mackay played his first game for Scotland. This made him the oldest player to debut for Scotland in 37 years. He played in a 1–0 loss to Denmark. He also played in wins against Estonia and Trinidad & Tobago. In total, Mackay played five times for Scotland.
Coaching and Managerial Career
Managing Watford
In June 2009, Malky Mackay became the full-time manager of Watford. The 2009–10 season was tough for Watford. They had to fight to stay in the Championship league. But by the end of April, they had secured their place. They finished the season in 14th place.
Leading Cardiff City
Mackay signed a three-year contract to manage Cardiff City in June 2011. His time at Cardiff started well with a 1–0 win. He was nominated for the Championship Manager of the Month award in September. He then won the award in November after another great month.
He guided Cardiff to their first ever League Cup final. They beat many teams to get there. Before the final, Mackay signed a new contract until 2016. Cardiff lost the final to Liverpool after a penalty shootout. At the end of the season, Cardiff lost in the promotion play-offs.
In his second season, Mackay led Cardiff to promotion to the Premier League. They won the Championship title! Mackay was named the Championship Manager of the Year in May 2013. During the 2013–14 season, Mackay left Cardiff City after disagreements with the club's owner.
Time at Wigan Athletic
Mackay became the manager of Wigan Athletic in November 2014. His appointment caused some discussion. However, he had received training on equality and diversity. In his first game, Wigan drew 1–1. He left Wigan in April 2015. The team was struggling in the league at that time.
Working with the Scottish FA
In December 2016, Mackay was appointed as the performance director for the Scottish Football Association. His job was to help develop young players. During this time, he also became the caretaker manager for the Scotland national team. He managed one game, which Scotland lost 1–0 to the Netherlands. Mackay left his role with the Scottish FA in November 2020.
Managing Ross County
Mackay became the manager of Ross County in May 2021. In his first season, Ross County finished sixth in the Scottish Premiership. This was a good result as many expected them to be relegated. In the 2022–23 season, the team struggled. They avoided relegation by winning a play-off game. Mackay left Ross County in November 2023.
Role at Hibernian
On 14 May 2024, Hibernian announced that Mackay would be their new sporting director. In this role, he helps with the club's overall football strategy.
Personal Life and Family
Malky Mackay's father is also named Malky Mackay. He was also a footballer who played as a striker. The Mackay family are all supporters of Queen's Park. Malky Mackay Sr. is even on the board of the club. When Malky Jr. was a teenager, he played for Queen's Park. At the same time, he worked at a branch of the Bank of Scotland.
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
- Celtic
- Scottish Premier Division: 1997–98
- Norwich City
- Football League First Division: 2003–04
- Watford
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2005–06
- Individual
- PFA Team of the Year: 2003–04 First Division
As a Manager
- Cardiff City
- Football League Championship: 2012–13
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2011–12
- Ross County
- Scottish Premiership play-offs: 2022–23
- Individual
- Football League Championship Manager of the Month: March 2011, November 2011
- League Managers Association Championship Manager of the Year: 2012–13
Images for kids
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Mackay as manager of Cardiff City in 2012
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Mackay (right) after Cardiff City were beaten in the 2012 League Cup Final
See also
In Spanish: Malky Mackay para niños
