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Mark McGhee
Mark McGhee (cropped).jpg
Personal information
Full name Mark Edward McGhee
Date of birth (1957-05-25) 25 May 1957 (age 68)
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Height 1.78 m
Playing position Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1975–1977 Greenock Morton 64 (37)
1977–1979 Newcastle United 28 (5)
1979–1984 Aberdeen 164 (61)
1984–1985 Hamburger SV 30 (7)
1985–1989 Celtic 87 (27)
1989–1991 Newcastle United 67 (24)
1991 IK Brage 3 (2)
1991–1993 Reading 45 (7)
Total 488 (170)
National team
1983–1984 Scotland 4 (2)
Teams managed
1991–1994 Reading
1994–1995 Leicester City
1995–1998 Wolverhampton Wanderers
2000–2003 Millwall
2003–2006 Brighton & Hove Albion
2007–2009 Motherwell
2009–2010 Aberdeen
2012 Bristol Rovers
2013–2017 Scotland (assistant)
2015–2017 Motherwell
2017–2018 Barnet
2019 Eastbourne Borough (caretaker)
2021 Stockport County (assistant)
2022 Dundee
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Mark Edward McGhee, born on May 25, 1957, is a Scottish former professional football player and coach. He played as a forward, which means he was an attacking player who tried to score goals. Mark started his football journey at Greenock Morton in 1975. He also played for many other famous clubs like Newcastle United, Aberdeen, Hamburg, Celtic, IK Brage and Reading.

Mark was a key player for Aberdeen when they won the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup and the 1983 UEFA Super Cup. They also won three Scottish league titles during his time there. After his playing career, Mark became a manager. He has managed several teams in England and Scotland, including Reading, Millwall, Aberdeen, and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Playing Career Highlights

Mark McGhee began his professional football career in 1975. He joined Morton and quickly became a promising centre forward. In December 1977, he moved to England to play for Newcastle United. After a good start, changes in management meant he played less often.

Success with Aberdeen

In March 1979, Mark returned to Scotland. He became the first big signing for Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen. This was the start of the most successful part of his playing career. He helped Aberdeen win the Scottish Premier Division in his first full season. This was the first time in 15 years that a team outside of the "Old Firm" (Celtic and Rangers) won the Scottish title.

At Aberdeen, Mark won another league title in 1984. He also helped the team win the Scottish Cup three times in a row, from 1982 to 1984. A major highlight was winning the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1983. Aberdeen beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the final. Mark's cross helped set up the winning goal. The next season, he scored against Hamburg to help Aberdeen win the European Super Cup. In 1982, he was also named the Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Time in Germany and Return to Scotland

In 1984, Mark moved to Germany to play for Hamburg. He scored 12 goals there, but injuries limited his time on the field. After 16 months, he returned to Scotland. He joined Celtic in 1985.

With Celtic, Mark won another Scottish Premier Division title in 1986. They won the league by a very small margin. The next year, injuries made it hard for him to play regularly. However, in 1987, many Celtic players left. This gave Mark a new chance. He helped Celtic win both the league and the Scottish Cup in their Centenary Season (1987-88). He won another Scottish Cup in 1989. That season, he was Celtic's top scorer and also tied for top scorer in the Scottish Premier Division.

Later Playing Years

Mark joined Newcastle United for a second time in 1989. He formed a strong attacking partnership with Micky Quinn. Their goals helped Newcastle almost get promoted to the top league in England. However, a new manager arrived in 1991, and Mark was dropped from the team.

He then had a short time playing in Sweden for IK Brage. After that, he joined Reading in May 1991 as a player-manager. He stopped playing football in 1993 due to injuries.

During his playing career, Mark McGhee also played four times for the Scotland national football team. He scored two goals for his country.

Management Career

Mark McGhee's career as a manager began in 1991. He became the player-manager at Reading, a team in the third tier of English football. His former manager, Alex Ferguson, recommended him for the job.

Leading Reading to Success

Mark officially retired as a player in 1993. The next season, he led Reading to win the Division Two title. This meant they were promoted to the second tier. Reading adapted well to the higher league. By December 1994, they were as high as second place in the division.

Moving to Leicester City and Wolves

Mark's success at Reading made him a sought-after young manager. In December 1994, he was offered the chance to manage Premier League team Leicester City. He joined Leicester even though he had a long contract with Reading. Leicester was struggling and was in the relegation zone. Mark could not keep them from being relegated.

He stayed with Leicester after they went down a league. He started a campaign to get them promoted back up. However, he left Leicester in December 1995 to join Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves). This was less than a year after he joined Leicester.

At Wolves, Mark tried to change their playing style to be more focused on passing. The team started 1996 well and almost reached the play-offs. However, their form dropped, and they finished 20th in the league. The next season (1996–97), Wolves aimed for promotion. They had a strong campaign but missed out on automatic promotion. They lost in the play-offs, missing the chance to reach the Premier League.

His failure to reach the top league led to less money for him to spend on new players. The 1997–98 season saw Wolves finish ninth. Mark's best moment that season was leading the team to the FA Cup semi-finals. This was his best Cup run as a manager. However, they lost to Arsenal in the semi-final. Mark was fired by Wolves on November 5, 1998, after a poor start to the next season. He managed Wolves for 156 games, winning 64 of them.

Managing Millwall and Brighton

In September 2000, Mark became the manager of Millwall, a team in the third tier. In his first season, he quickly led them to win the Division Two title. The next season, he took the club to the Division One play-offs. However, they lost in the semi-final in the last minute.

Mark left Millwall in October 2003. Just 13 days later, he was appointed manager of Brighton. Brighton had been relegated to League One. Mark managed to get them promoted back to the Championship in his first season. They won the play-offs by beating Bristol City 1-0 in the final. He kept the club in the Championship the next season. However, they were relegated the following season. Mark was sacked as Brighton manager in September 2006 after a series of defeats.

Motherwell and Second Spell at Aberdeen

In June 2007, Mark was appointed manager of Motherwell. He greatly improved the team. Motherwell went from avoiding relegation to finishing third in the 2007–08 Scottish Premier League. This meant they qualified for the 2008–09 UEFA Cup, their first time in European competition in 13 years. People praised his attacking style of football. Mark also handled the sad death of club captain Phil O'Donnell with great care.

In June 2009, Mark became the new manager of Aberdeen, a club he played for. His first competitive match was a tough 5-1 home defeat in the UEFA Europa League. Aberdeen lost the return leg too, making it their heaviest defeat in UEFA competition. After more poor results, Mark was sacked on December 1, 2010. Aberdeen was near the bottom of the league.

Bristol Rovers and Scotland Assistant

On January 18, 2012, Mark was appointed manager of Bristol Rovers. His first game was a 2-0 victory. He improved the team's form, moving them from relegation candidates to a mid-table finish. However, the next season, the team struggled again. Mark was sacked in December 2012, with Bristol Rovers near the bottom of League Two.

Mark joined the coaching staff of the Scotland national side on January 18, 2013. He became assistant to his close friend Gordon Strachan. He hoped this new job would help his career after his recent managerial challenges.

Second Spell at Motherwell and Other Roles

Mark was appointed manager of Motherwell for a second time on October 13, 2015. He helped the club move from near the bottom of the league to fourth place by April. He even won the SPFL manager of the month award for March 2016. However, heavy defeats in February 2017 led to fan protests. Mark left the club on February 28, 2017.

He then managed Barnet in League Two for a short time in late 2017. In February 2019, Mark took over as interim manager at Eastbourne Borough until the end of the season. He also worked as an assistant manager at Stockport County in 2021.

Dundee

In February 2022, Mark McGhee was appointed manager of Dundee. He did not win any of his first 12 games as manager. He finally got a league win in May 2022. However, Dundee was relegated to the Scottish Championship the next day. Dundee decided not to renew his contract. Mark finished his time with Dundee with only one win in 14 games.

Career Statistics

Club

Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Greenock Morton 1975–76 Scottish First Division 5 1 1 1 2 0 - - - - 8 2
1976–77 Scottish First Division 39 20 1 0 6 6 - - - - 46 26
1977–78 Scottish First Division 20 16 0 0 4 1 - - - - 24 17
Total 64 37 2 1 12 7 - - - - 78 45
Newcastle United 1977–78 First Division 18 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 - - 20 3
1978–79 Second Division 10 2 1 0 1 0 - - - - 12 2
Total 28 5 3 0 1 0 0 0 - - 32 5
Aberdeen 1978–79 Scottish Premier Division 11 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - 11 4
1979–80 Scottish Premier Division 21 7 1 0 7 4 0 0 - - 29 11
1980–81 Scottish Premier Division 36 13 2 1 5 3 4 1 - - 47 18
1981–82 Scottish Premier Division 31 8 6 3 9 4 6 1 - - 52 16
1982–83 Scottish Premier Division 32 16 5 1 7 4 11 6 - - 55 27
1983–84 Scottish Premier Division 33 13 6 2 6 3 10 6 - - 55 24
Total 164 61 20 7 34 18 31 14 - - 249 100
Hamburger SV 1984–85 Bundesliga 26 6 1 0 0 0 6 3 - - 33 9
1985–86 Bundesliga 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 - - 5 1
Total 30 7 1 0 0 0 7 3 - - 38 10
Celtic 1985–86 Scottish Premier Division 18 4 3 1 0 0 0 0 - - 21 5
1986–87 Scottish Premier Division 16 1 3 0 1 0 3 1 - - 23 2
1987–88 Scottish Premier Division 24 6 4 1 3 1 1 0 - - 32 8
1988–89 Scottish Premier Division 29 16 5 2 0 0 3 1 - - 37 19
Total 87 27 15 4 4 1 7 2 - - 113 34
Newcastle United 1989–90 Second Division 46 19 4 5 3 1 - - 2 0 55 25
1990–91 Second Division 21 5 2 1 2 0 - - - - 25 6
Total 67 24 6 6 5 1 - - 2 0 80 31
IK Brage 1991–92 Division 1 Norra 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - 3 2
Reading 1991–92 Third Division 32 5 1 0 2 0 - - - - 35 5
1992–93 Second Division 13 2 0 0 0 0 - - - - 13 2
Total 45 7 1 0 2 0 - - - - 48 7
Career total 488 170 48 18 58 27 45 19 2 0 641 234

Sources:

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Scotland 1983 3 1
1984 1 1
Total 4 2

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each McGhee goal

List of international goals scored by Mark McGhee
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 12 June 1983 Empire Stadium, Vancouver Canada 2–0 2–0 Friendly
2 26 May 1984 Hampden Park, Glasgow England 1–0 1–1 1983–84 British Home Championship

Managerial Record

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
P W D L Win %
Reading 10 May 1991 14 December 1994 &&&&&&&&&&&&0183.&&&&&0183 &&&&&&&&&&&&&079.&&&&&079 &&&&&&&&&&&&&051.&&&&&051 &&&&&&&&&&&&&053.&&&&&053 &&&&&&&&&&&&&043.20000043.2
Leicester City 14 December 1994 7 December 1995 &&&&&&&&&&&&&051.&&&&&051 &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021 &&&&&&&&&&&&&031.40000031.4
Wolverhampton Wanderers 13 December 1995 5 November 1998 &&&&&&&&&&&&0159.&&&&&0159 &&&&&&&&&&&&&065.&&&&&065 &&&&&&&&&&&&&039.&&&&&039 &&&&&&&&&&&&&055.&&&&&055 &&&&&&&&&&&&&040.90000040.9
Millwall 25 September 2000 15 October 2003 &&&&&&&&&&&&0163.&&&&&0163 &&&&&&&&&&&&&075.&&&&&075 &&&&&&&&&&&&&039.&&&&&039 &&&&&&&&&&&&&049.&&&&&049 &&&&&&&&&&&&&046.&&&&&046.0
Brighton & Hove Albion 28 October 2003 8 September 2006 &&&&&&&&&&&&0139.&&&&&0139 &&&&&&&&&&&&&040.&&&&&040 &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038 &&&&&&&&&&&&&061.&&&&&061 &&&&&&&&&&&&&028.80000028.8
Motherwell 18 June 2007 12 June 2009 &&&&&&&&&&&&&088.&&&&&088 &&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&036.&&&&&036 &&&&&&&&&&&&&039.80000039.8
Aberdeen 12 June 2009 1 December 2010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&062.&&&&&062 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013 &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032 &&&&&&&&&&&&&027.40000027.4
Bristol Rovers 18 January 2012 15 December 2012 &&&&&&&&&&&&&045.&&&&&045 &&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012 &&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021 &&&&&&&&&&&&&026.70000026.7
Motherwell 13 October 2015 28 February 2017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&062.&&&&&062 &&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030 &&&&&&&&&&&&&035.50000035.5
Barnet 13 November 2017 15 January 2018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&027.30000027.3
Eastbourne Borough (Caretaker) 19 February 2019 7 May 2019 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.1000009.1
Dundee 17 February 2022 31 May 2022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.1400007.14
Total &&&&&&&&&&&&0987.&&&&&0987 &&&&&&&&&&&&0366.&&&&&0366 &&&&&&&&&&&&0242.&&&&&0242 &&&&&&&&&&&&0379.&&&&&0379 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.10000037.1

Honours

As a Player

Greenock Morton

Aberdeen

Celtic

  • Scottish Premier Division: 1985–86, 1987–88
  • Scottish Cup: 1987–88, 1988–89

As a Manager

Reading

Millwall

  • Football League Second Division: 2000–01

Brighton & Hove Albion

  • Football League Second Division play-offs: 2004
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