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Mark McGhee
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 (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	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)
International career
1983–1984	Scotland	4	(2)
Managerial career
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
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mark Edward McGhee (born 25 May 1957) is a Scottish former professional football player and coach. He played as a forward. Mark McGhee started his career at Greenock Morton in 1975. He also played for famous clubs like Newcastle United, Aberdeen, Hamburg, and Celtic.

McGhee was a key player for the Aberdeen team that won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1983. They also won the 1983 UEFA Super Cup and three Scottish league titles. After his playing days, McGhee became a manager for several clubs in England and Scotland. These included Reading, Millwall, Aberdeen, and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Playing Career Highlights

Mark McGhee grew up in Cumbernauld, Scotland. He began his professional football journey in 1975 at Morton. He quickly became a promising forward. In December 1977, he moved to England to play for Newcastle United.

Success with Aberdeen

In March 1979, McGhee returned to Scotland. He joined Aberdeen, becoming the first big signing for manager Alex Ferguson. With Aberdeen, McGhee won the SFL Reserve Cup in 1979. His time at Aberdeen was the most successful part of his playing career.

The team won the Scottish Premier Division in the next season. This was the first time in 15 years that a club outside of the "Old Firm" (Celtic and Rangers) won the Scottish title. McGhee helped Aberdeen win another league title in 1984. They also won the Scottish Cup three times in a row from 1982 to 1984.

A major highlight was when Aberdeen beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1983. McGhee's pass helped set up the winning goal. He also won the European Super Cup the next season, scoring against Hamburg. In 1982, he was named the Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Moving to Germany and Celtic

In 1984, McGhee moved to Germany to play for Hamburg. He faced injuries there and returned to Scotland 16 months later. He joined Celtic in 1985.

With Celtic, McGhee won another Scottish Premier Division title in 1986. He also helped Celtic win a League and Scottish Cup double in 1988, which was the club's 100th anniversary season. He won another Scottish Cup in 1989 and was Celtic's top scorer that season.

Later Playing Years

McGhee joined Newcastle United for a second time in 1989. He formed a strong partnership with Micky Quinn. Their goals helped Newcastle almost get promoted to the top league in England.

After a short time playing in Sweden for IK Brage, McGhee became a player-manager for Reading in May 1991. He stopped playing football in 1993 due to injuries. During his career, McGhee also played four times for the Scotland national football team, scoring two goals.

Management Career

Mark McGhee's coaching career began as a player-manager at Reading in 1991. He was recommended for the job by his former manager, Alex Ferguson.

Reading and Leicester City

McGhee officially retired as a player in 1993. He led Reading to win the Division Two title in the 1993–94 season. The team did well in the next league, reaching second place by December 1994.

His success at Reading led to him being offered the manager job at Premier League club Leicester City in December 1994. Leicester was struggling and was relegated that season. McGhee stayed to try and get them promoted, but he left in December 1995 to join Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

McGhee took over at Wolves in December 1995. The team was not doing well, but McGhee tried to improve their playing style. They had a good start to 1996, almost reaching the play-offs. However, their form dropped, and they finished 20th.

In the 1996–97 season, Wolves aimed for promotion. They reached the play-offs but lost to Crystal Palace in the semi-finals. This meant they missed out on reaching the Premier League. The club's owner then reduced the money available for new players.

In the 1997–98 season, Wolves finished ninth. McGhee's best moment was leading the team to the FA Cup semi-finals, their best Cup run since 1981. They lost 1–0 to Arsenal. McGhee was fired by Wolves on 5 November 1998, after a poor start to the next season. He managed Wolves for 156 games, winning 64 of them.

Millwall and Brighton

In September 2000, McGhee became the manager of Millwall. He quickly led them to win the Division Two title in his first season. The next season, Millwall reached the Division One play-offs but lost in the semi-finals. McGhee left Millwall in October 2003.

Just 13 days later, McGhee was appointed manager of Brighton. Brighton had been relegated, but McGhee helped them get promoted back to the Championship in his first season by winning the play-offs. They stayed in the Championship for the 2004–05 season, which was their highest league position in 14 years. However, Brighton was relegated the following season, and McGhee was sacked in September 2006 after three straight defeats.

Motherwell (First Spell)

On 18 June 2007, Mark McGhee became the new manager of Motherwell. He greatly improved the team, taking them from almost being relegated to finishing third in the 2007–08 Scottish Premier League. This meant Motherwell qualified for the 2008–09 UEFA Cup, their first time in European competition in 13 years. McGhee was praised for bringing an exciting, attacking style of football. He also handled the sad death of club captain Phil O'Donnell with great care.

Aberdeen (Second Spell as Manager)

On 12 June 2009, McGhee was confirmed as the new manager of Aberdeen. His first competitive match was a tough 5–1 home defeat in the UEFA Europa League. After a very heavy 9–0 loss to Celtic in November 2010, McGhee was given a vote of confidence. However, after more poor results, he was sacked on 1 December 2010. Aberdeen was near the bottom of the league at that time.

Bristol Rovers

On 18 January 2012, McGhee was appointed manager of Bristol Rovers. He helped the team improve their form, moving them from fighting relegation to finishing in the middle of the table. However, the next season, Bristol Rovers struggled again. McGhee was sacked on 15 December 2012, with the team second from bottom in League Two.

Scotland Assistant and Motherwell (Second Spell)

McGhee joined the coaching staff of the Scotland national side on 18 January 2013, as assistant to his friend Gordon Strachan. He hoped this role would help his career.

On 13 October 2015, McGhee returned to manage Motherwell for a second time. He helped the club move up the league table. However, after some very heavy defeats in February 2017, McGhee left the club on 28 February 2017.

Later Coaching Roles

McGhee managed Barnet in League Two from November 2017 to January 2018, then moved to a technical role before leaving in March 2018. In February 2019, he became interim manager at Eastbourne Borough until the end of the season. In January 2021, he joined Stockport County as an assistant manager, leaving in October 2021.

Dundee

In February 2022, McGhee was appointed manager of Dundee. He had a difficult start, going winless in his first 12 games. Dundee finally won a league game in May 2022, but they were relegated to the Scottish Championship the next day. Dundee decided not to renew his contract, and McGhee left the club on 14 May 2022. He finished his time at Dundee with only one win in 14 games.

Career Statistics

Club Playing Statistics

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	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 Playing Statistics

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Scotland	1983	3	1
Scotland	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
Team	From	To	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

Scottish Football League First Division: 1977–78

Aberdeen

Scottish Premier Division: 1979–80, 1983–84
Scottish Cup: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84
European Cup Winners' Cup: 1982–83
European Super Cup: 1983

Celtic

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

As a Manager

Reading

Football League Second Division: 1993–94

Millwall

Football League Second Division: 2000–01

Brighton & Hove Albion

Football League Second Division play-offs: 2004

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