Darren McGregor

Darren McGregor (born 7 August 1985) is a Scottish football coach and former player, who is currently a coach at Scottish Premiership club Hibernian.

Darren McGregor
McGregor (#14) playing for St Mirren against Peterhead in January 2011.[1]
Personal information
Full name Darren McGregor
Date of birth (1985-08-07) 7 August 1985
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Hibernian (coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2006 Cowdenbeath 31 (1)
2006–2008 Arniston Rangers
2008–2010 Cowdenbeath 51 (6)
2010–2014 St Mirren 83 (4)
2014–2015 Rangers 36 (4)
2015–2023 Hibernian 138 (5)
Total 339 (20)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

McGregor has had two spells with Cowdenbeath during his career. In his first spell he made his professional debut before being released and then plying his trade in junior football with Arniston Rangers in Midlothian. McGregor returned to Cowdenbeath in 2008.

He then played with St Mirren for four years, during when he suffered two serious knee injuries. After one season with Rangers, McGregor signed for Hibernian in 2015. He helped them win the Scottish Cup in 2016 and promotion in 2016–17.

Career

Cowdenbeath

His senior career started with Cowdenbeath, where he played a role in the side that won the 2005–06 Scottish Third Division championship.[3] McGregor was released at the end of that season and spent two years in junior football, before returning to Cowdenbeath at the start of the 2008–09 season.[3] He played an important role over the next two seasons as the team were promoted to the Scottish First Division.

St Mirren

On 15 June 2010, McGregor followed ex-Cowdenbeath manager Danny Lennon to St Mirren, joining the side on a two-year contract.[4] He made his SPL debut on 14 August 2010 in a 1–1 draw with Dundee United[5] and scored his first goal for the club in a Scottish League Cup game against Ross County on 25 August 2010.[6]

He scored his first league goal for the club in a 1–1 draw at St Mirren Park against Dundee United on 26 January 2011, netting a header from a well placed corner kick by Steven Thomson. He then scored his second league goal for the club in a 3–3 draw against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on 12 February 2011, with a header from a Jure Travner corner. During a match against Dundee United in the SPL on 6 August 2011, McGregor suffered cruciate ligament damage that prevented him from playing for most of the 2011–12 season.[7]

On 24 February 2012, it was announced that McGregor had signed a two-year contract extension, tying him to the club until the summer of 2014.[8] McGregor returned to the St Mirren first team, but then suffered another cruciate ligament injury in a match against Hibernian on 18 August 2012.[7] The injury sidelined McGregor for the rest of the 2012–13 Scottish Premier League season, and meant that he had only played 12 competitive matches for the club in a two-season period.

During pre-season of season 2013–14, McGregor returned to action after recovering from his second cruciate ligament injury, and admitted that he feared he may never play football again.[9] McGregor had an injury free season and registered 35 league appearances for the club.

Rangers

McGregor signed a one-year deal on 11 June 2014 with Rangers with an option for a second year. He made his debut for Rangers when he came on as a 92nd-minute substitute for Richard Foster in the opening game of the Scottish Championship season against Hearts. He scored his first goal for Rangers in a 4–1 win over Dumbarton in August 2014. In May 2015, McGregor won the Rangers' Player of the Year and Manager's Player of the Year. On 24 August 2015, it was announced that McGregor and Rangers had terminated his contract by mutual consent.[10]

Hibernian

The day after his release by Rangers, McGregor joined boyhood club Hibernian[11] on a two-year deal.[12] McGregor was part of the Hibs team that won the 2015–16 Scottish Cup, winning 3–2 against his former club Rangers in the final.[13]

On 15 April 2017, McGregor scored twice as Hibs beat Queen of the South 3–0 to clinch the 2016–17 Scottish Championship title and a return to the Scottish Premiership after an absence of three years.[14][15] He signed a two-year contract with Hibs in May 2017.[16] McGregor underwent knee surgery in September 2017, which head coach Neil Lennon said would prevent him from playing for at least four weeks.[17]

In April 2019, Hibs and McGregor agreed a new contract that is due to run until 2023.[18] In August of that year he sustained a lower abdominal injury which kept him out of action for four months.[19][20][21] Having made four appearances that season prior to the injury, he made six more after returning (and remained an unused substitute on 15 further occasions)[22] before the campaign was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland.

On 15 May 2022, in the last match of the 2021–22 season, McGregor captained Hibs to a 4–0 win against St Johnstone. In June 2022 it was announced that McGregor would take up a player/coach role with the Hibs development squad.[23] He retired from playing at the end of the 2022–23 season (in which he was an unused substitute for 13 league fixtures), and became head coach of the Hibs under-18 team.[24]

Career statistics
As of 16:32, 27 May 2023 (UTC)[25]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Cowdenbeath 2004–05[26] Scottish Third Division 171001000181
2005–06[27] Scottish Third Division 14010101[lower-alpha 1]0170
Total 311102010351
Arniston Rangers 2006–07 SJFA East Region —————
2007–08 SJFA East Region —————
Total —————
Cowdenbeath 2008–09[28][29][30] Scottish Third Division 34110216[lower-alpha 2]1433
2009–10[31] Scottish Second Division 17500004[lower-alpha 3]0215
Total 5161021101648
St Mirren 2010–11[32] Scottish Premier League 3635011—424
2011–12[33] Scottish Premier League 900000—90
2012–13[34] Scottish Premier League 310000—31
2013–14[35] Scottish Premiership 3503000—380
Total 834801100925
Rangers 2014–15[36] Scottish Championship 36430509[lower-alpha 4]1535
Hibernian 2015–16[37] Scottish Championship 28071504[lower-alpha 5]2443
2016–17[38][note 1] Scottish Championship 35240103[lower-alpha 6]0432
2017–18[39] Scottish Premiership 2401040—290
2018–19[40][note 2] Scottish Premiership 24230003[lower-alpha 7]0302
2019–20[41] Scottish Premiership 601030—100
2020–21[42] Scottish Premiership 1011050—161
2021–22[43] Scottish Premiership 10010202[lower-alpha 8]0150
Total 13851812001221888
Career total 3392031130232343226
  1. Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup
  2. Three appearances and one goal in the Scottish Challenge Cup and three appearances in the Scottish Second Division play-offs
  3. Appearances in the Scottish First Division play-offs
  4. Four appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup and five appearances and one goal in the Scottish Premiership play-offs
  5. Appearances in the Scottish Premiership play-offs
  6. One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup and two appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  7. Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  8. Appearances in the UEFA Conference League

Honours

Player
Cowdenbeath
Hibernian

Notes
  1. Soccerbase did not record two appearances made by McGregor against Brondby IF on 14 July and 21 July 2016.
  2. Soccerbase did not record appearances made by McGregor against Asteras Tripolis on 26 July and 2 August 2018.

References
  1. "St Mirren 0 – 0 Peterhead". BBC Sport. 8 January 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  2. "Darren McGregor". Hibernian FC. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  3. "Darren McGregor encourages juniors to be ambitious". BBC Sport. 13 February 2011.
  4. "Cowdenbeath defender Darren McGregor joins St Mirren". BBC Sport. 15 June 2010.
  5. "St Mirren 1–1 Dundee United". BBC Sport. 14 August 2010.
  6. "Ross C 3–3 St Mirren (4–3 pen)". BBC Sport. 25 August 2010.
  7. "St Mirren: Danny Lennon fears Darren McGregor may face lay-off". BBC Sport. 19 August 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  8. "Darren McGregor agrees St Mirren contract extension". STV Sport. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  9. Haggerty, Anthony (23 July 2013). "St Mirren's Darren McGregor says determination to avoid going back to old job in clothes shop helped him beat injury hell". Daily Record. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  10. "Defender Darren McGregor exits 'by mutual consent'". BBC Sport. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  11. "Hibernian sign up defender Darren McGregor after Rangers exit". BBC Sport. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  12. "McGregor Joins Hibernian". hibernianfc.co.uk. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  13. "Scottish Cup final: Rangers 2–3 Hibernian – BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  14. "Darren McGregor fires Hibs back to the Scottish Premiership". BT Sport. 15 April 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  15. McLauchlin, Brian (15 April 2017). "Hibernian 3–0 Queen of the South". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  16. "Five Renew Contracts For Next Season". Hibernian FC. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  17. McLauchlin, Brian (15 September 2017). "Hibernian defenders Liam Fontaine and Darren McGregor face spell on the sidelines". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  18. "David Gray & Darren McGregor sign new Hibs contracts until 2023". BBC Sport. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  19. Darren McGregor: Hibs defender out for 'several weeks' with abdominal injury, BBC Sport, 20 August 2019
  20. Injury Update | Darren McGregor, Hibernian FC, 6 November 2019
  21. Darren McGregor fit after lengthy lay-off and is glad his kids can watch him play for Hibs again, Daily Record, 20 December 2019
  22. D. McGregor, Soccerway
  23. "Darren McGregor Takes Up New Role With Hibs Development Squad". Hibernian FC. 23 June 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  24. "McGregor to hang up boots at Hibs and take on U-18's head coach job". BBC Sport. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  25. Darren McGregor at Soccerbase
  26. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  27. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  28. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  29. "Elgin City 0–2 Cowdenbeath". BBC Sport. 26 July 2008. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  30. "Cowdenbeath 1–2 Airdrie Utd". BBC Sport. 7 September 2008. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  31. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  32. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  33. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  34. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  35. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  36. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  37. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  38. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  39. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  40. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  41. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  42. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  43. "Games played by Darren McGregor in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
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