Rab Douglas facts for kids

Robert James Douglas (born 24 April 1972), known as Rab Douglas, is a Scottish former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper. Rab played for many clubs, including Livingston, Dundee, Celtic, Leicester City, and Forfar Athletic. Later, he became a goalkeeping coach with Arbroath. He was part of the Celtic team that reached the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. He also played for the Scotland national team 19 times between 2002 and 2005. In 2017, Rab Douglas was added to the Dundee FC Hall of Fame.

Playing Career Highlights

Early Days at Meadowbank and Livingston

Rab Douglas was born in Lanark, Scotland. He started his professional football journey in 1993. He joined Meadowbank Thistle, a team in the Scottish Second Division. After one season, Meadowbank Thistle moved down to the Third Division. In 1995, the club moved to Livingston and changed its name to Livingston FC. By then, Rab had become their main goalkeeper. The team had a great first season under their new name and won promotion back to the Second Division.

Joining Dundee FC

In the summer of 1997, Rab Douglas signed with Dundee, a team in the Scottish First Division. He played in every game as Dundee won the 1997–98 Scottish First Division title. This win helped them get promoted to the top league, the Scottish Premier League. Dundee also had a good run in the 1997–98 Scottish Cup that year. Rab kept a clean sheet (meaning he didn't let any goals in) in a big quarter-final match against Rangers at Ibrox. In November 1999, he famously saved a penalty kick against Rangers, helping Dundee win 2–1.

Time at Celtic FC

In 2000, Rab Douglas moved from Dundee to Celtic. He quickly became the first-choice goalkeeper for the club. In his first season, he helped Celtic win the Scottish Premier League (SPL) title and the Scottish Cup. He couldn't play in the 2000–01 Scottish League Cup final because he had already played for Dundee in that competition earlier in the season.

The next season, Rab won another SPL title with Celtic. He was praised for his amazing performance in a UEFA Cup game against Valencia in November 2001. He even won the SPL Player of the Month award that same month. He was a key player when Celtic reached the 2003 UEFA Cup Final against F.C. Porto. He played very well in the matches leading up to the final. After five successful years at Celtic, Rab decided to try playing in England. He joined Leicester City in 2005.

Loan Spells and Leicester City

At Leicester City, Rab faced tough competition for his spot. In 2007, he went on a short loan to Millwall. He then joined Wycombe Wanderers on loan, playing a few games there. In March 2008, he had a brief loan spell at Plymouth Argyle. Later that year, his contract with Leicester ended, and he decided to return to his former club, Dundee.

Return to Dundee FC

Rab Douglas rejoined Dundee in 2008 for his second time with the club. In his first season back (2008-09), he played in every single game. He signed a new two-year contract soon after.

In the 2009–10 season, despite some injuries, Rab helped Dundee win the Scottish Challenge Cup against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He was in goal for the final match.

During the 2010–11 season, Dundee faced financial difficulties. Rab, along with other players, helped the club through this tough time. They went on an amazing 23-match unbeaten streak, setting a new club record. This helped the team avoid relegation and overcome their financial problems. After this, Rab signed another one-year deal with Dundee.

In the 2011–12 season, Rab played in almost every game. The club finished second in their league but were promoted to the Scottish Premier League to replace Rangers. Rab played his first SPL match in over seven years in August 2012. He made many important saves, including a penalty, helping Dundee get their first win of the season against Heart of Midlothian. In May 2013, it was announced that Rab would be leaving Dundee. Fans gave him a standing ovation during an emotional farewell.

Time at Forfar Athletic

On 25 July 2013, Rab Douglas joined Scottish League One team Forfar Athletic. He was on the bench when Forfar Athletic famously beat Rangers 2–1 in the Scottish League Cup. In November, he became the main goalkeeper for Forfar. He was even named in the 2014–2015 PFA League 1 Team of the Year. Rab played a big part in Forfar's push for promotion in the 2014–15 season. He left the club in December 2015.

Playing and Coaching at Arbroath

After a short break from football, Rab Douglas signed with Scottish League Two club Arbroath in 2016. He later left the club but rejoined them in March 2017. He left again at the end of the 2016–17 season but returned once more in November 2017.

After helping Arbroath as a goalkeeping coach during his playing time, Rab was officially hired as the team's goalkeeping coach in 2018. He helped the team win League One in the 2018–19 season. Even at 48 and 50 years old, Rab was named as an unused substitute for Arbroath in League Cup and Scottish Cup matches when the team had many injuries.

International Career with Scotland

Rab Douglas was a regular player for the Scotland national team during the UEFA Euro 2004 qualification games. He played 19 times for Scotland between 2002 and 2005. His last game for Scotland was a friendly match in August 2005 against Austria.

Honours and Achievements

Livingston

• Scottish Football League Third Division: 1995–96

Dundee

• Scottish Football League First Division: 1997–98
• Scottish Challenge Cup: 2009–10

Celtic

• Scottish Premier League: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04
• Scottish Cup: 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05
• UEFA Cup runner-up: 2002–03