Neil McCann

Neil Doherty McCann (born 11 August 1974) is a Scottish football manager, pundit and former professional player who played as a left winger. His most recent role in football was a stint as the caretaker manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Neil McCann
Personal information
Full name Neil Doherty McCann[1]
Date of birth (1974-08-11) 11 August 1974[2]
Place of birth Greenock,[1] Scotland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3]
Position(s) Left-winger[1]
Youth career
Greenock Morton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1996 Dundee 79 (5)
1996–1998 Heart of Midlothian 74 (19)
1998–2003 Rangers 113 (19)
2003–2006 Southampton 40 (0)
2006–2008 Heart of Midlothian 25 (0)
2008–2009 Falkirk 24 (1)
2011 Dundee 3 (1)
Total 358 (45)
International career
1998–2005 Scotland[4] 26 (3)
Managerial career
2017–2018 Dundee
2021 Inverness Caledonian Thistle (interim)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

His playing career saw him represent Dundee (two spells), Heart of Midlothian (two spells), Rangers, Southampton and Falkirk. He also played 26 times for Scotland in full international matches.[4]

After working as a pundit for Sky Sports[5] he was appointed manager of Dundee in 2017 before being sacked in October 2018.

Club career

McCann started his career with Dundee before moving on to Heart of Midlothian in 1996. He helped the Tynecastle side win the Scottish Cup in 1998,[6] their first major trophy in 36 years. McCann moved to Rangers later that year for £1.9 million,[7] becoming the club's first major Scottish Catholic signing since Mo Johnston.[8] He scored two goals in a 3–0 win for Rangers against their arch-rivals Celtic on 2 May 1999, which clinched the 1998–99 Scottish Premier League title. McCann left Rangers in 2003, as the club were forced to sell him due to financial problems.[9] Speaking in February 2019, McCann said that he had been subject to sectarian abuse from Celtic fans that stemmed from his decision to sign for Rangers.[10]

He joined Southampton on 5 August 2003, for £1.5 million.[11] A series of injuries made it difficult for him to maintain his place in the team. McCann scored one goal for Southampton, in a League Cup tie against Northampton Town.[12] His contract with Southampton was terminated by mutual consent in January 2006.[13]

On 17 January 2006, McCann rejoined Hearts.[14] He sustained a medial knee ligament injury while playing in his first match after returning to Hearts, which meant that he missed the rest of the 2005–06 season (including the 2006 Scottish Cup Final).[15] McCann played in 28 games during the 2006–07 season, but then suffered a double leg break during a game at Celtic Park on 25 August 2007.[15]

On 14 May 2008 it was announced that McCann had signed for Falkirk. He scored on his Falkirk debut, against former club Hearts,[6] and then scored in League Cup ties against Queen of the South[16] and Inverness.[17] His last appearance for Falkirk was in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final.[18] McCann was released on 22 August 2009[19] after managerial changes at Falkirk, with outgoing manager John Hughes (the manager that signed him) being replaced by Eddie May.

On 12 February 2011, McCann came out of retirement to help Dundee stave-off relegation from the First Division.[18] He scored a last minute goal in his first appearance, against Raith Rovers.[20] McCann was inducted into the Dundee FC Hall of Fame in 2016.

International career

McCann made his full international debut for Scotland on 5 September 1998, coming on as a late substitute for Ally McCoist in a goalless draw against Lithuania.[4] His first appearance in the starting line-up was on 31 March 1999 in a 2–1 home defeat to the Czech Republic. McCann scored three goals for Scotland, including two in UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying matches against the Faroe Islands and Germany.[4] He made 26 appearances for Scotland, with his last coming in a 1–1 draw with the United States in November 2005.[4]

Coaching career

Dunfermline

McCann joined Dunfermline Athletic as a coach in July 2012, initially on a voluntary basis.[21] The club entered administration in March 2013[22] and suffered a second successive relegation.[23][24] When Dunfermline exited administration in December 2013, manager Jim Jefferies and McCann were both offered new contracts.[25] Jefferies retired early in December 2014, leaving McCann and John Potter in charge of the team.[24] On 30 April 2015, McCann decided to leave Dunfermline.[26]

Dundee manager

McCann's first managerial position came at Scottish Premiership side Dundee, where he was appointed on an interim basis on 18 April 2017.[27] McCann oversaw five matches for his former team, securing the side's place in the top tier of Scottish football. Dundee announced on 29 May that McCann would leave the club,[28] then had an approach for Jack Ross rejected by St Mirren.[29] On 1 June, McCann was appointed Dundee manager on a permanent basis.[30] He was sacked by the club on 16 October 2018, with Dundee bottom of the 2018–19 Scottish Premiership after collecting just three points from eight games.[31]

Inverness caretaker

After John Robertson was given compassionate leave in February 2021, McCann was appointed caretaker manager of Scottish Championship club Inverness Caledonian Thistle.[32] McCann left this position after the 2020–21 season was completed, with Robertson returning in a sporting director role and a new manager to be appointed.[33] Inverness chief executive Scot Gardiner said in May 2021 that the arrangement with McCann had always been intended to be temporary, but that he had tried to persuade McCann to stay in the position longer.[34]

Media work

McCann became a pundit for Sky Sports, providing analysis on their coverage of football in Scotland, after he left Falkirk in 2009.[18][19] McCann left Sky in June 2017, when he was appointed Dundee manager on a permanent basis.[35] He now works for Sky Sports, BBC and RangersTV as a pundit.

Career statistics

International
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Scotland[4] 199810
199940
200061
200120
200220
200352
200420
200540
Total263
Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each McCann goal.
List of international goals scored by Neil McCann
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
12 September 2000Skonto Stadions, Riga, Latvia Latvia1–01–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification
26 September 2003Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland Faroe Islands1–03–1UEFA Euro 2004 qualification
310 September 2003Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany Germany1–21–2UEFA Euro 2004 qualification

Manager
As of match played 30 April 2021[36]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Dundee[note 1] Scotland 18 April 2017 16 October 2018 65 22 9 34 66 96 −30 033.85
Inverness Caledonian Thistle (interim) Scotland 23 February 2021 30 April 2021 16 6 6 4 21 18 +3 037.50
Total 81 28 15 38 87 114 −27 034.57
note 1 Interim manager from 18 April until 29 May 2017.

Honours

Heart of Midlothian

Rangers

References
  1. "Neil McCann". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  2. "Neil McCann profile". London Hearts. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  3. "Neil McCann: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  4. Neil McCann at the Scottish Football Association
  5. "Former Rangers star Neil McCann backs summer switch for Scottish football and believes it could revitalise game north of the border". Daily Record. 28 June 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  6. "Falkirk 2-1 Hearts". BBC Sport. 13 September 2008. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  7. Gordon, Phil (2 May 1999). "Football: McCann the rebound man". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  8. "Interview: Neil McCann, football pundit and former player". scotsman.com. 14 May 2011. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  9. "Rangers could lose Ferguson". BBC Sport. 15 August 2003. Retrieved 13 April 2008. Rangers' massive debts forced the summer sale of ... winger Neil McCann to Southampton.
  10. "Neil McCann: 'Celtic fans abused me in same way Steve Clarke was'". BBC Sport. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  11. "McCann makes Saints switch". BBC Sport. 5 August 2003. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  12. "Northampton 0–3 Southampton". BBC Sport. 22 September 2004. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  13. "Winger McCann departs St Mary's". BBC Sport. 9 January 2006. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  14. "McCann wraps up return to Hearts". BBC Sport. 17 January 2006. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  15. "McCann suffers double leg break". BBC Sport. 26 August 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  16. "Falkirk 2–1 Queen of the South". BBC Sport. 23 September 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  17. "Falkirk 1–0 Inverness CT". BBC Sport. 28 October 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  18. "Neil McCann comes out of retirement with Dundee". BBC Sport. 12 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  19. "Neil McCann leaves Falkirk". STV Sport. 21 August 2009.
  20. "Dundee 2-1 Raith Rovers". BBC Sport. 12 February 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  21. "MANAGER ON TUESDAY". Dunfermline Athletic FC. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  22. "Dunfermline: Gerry McCabe exits as three players find new clubs". BBC Sport. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  23. Lindsay, Clive (19 May 2013). "Dunfermline Athletic 1-0 Alloa Athletic (agg 1-3)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  24. "Dunfermline Athletic: Jim Jefferies stood down 'to ease pressure'". BBC Sport. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  25. "Jim Jefferies and Neil McCann to sign new deals with Dunfermline Athletic". STV Sport. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  26. "Dunfermline Athletic: John Potter axed as manager". BBC Sport. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  27. Idessane, Kheredine (18 April 2017). "Dundee: Neil McCann to be appointed interim boss at Premiership club". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  28. "Dundee: Neil McCann not staying as manager". BBC Sport. 29 May 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  29. "St Mirren: Jack Ross rexpected to sign new deal despite Dundee interest". BBC Sport. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  30. "Dundee appoint Neil McCann as manager". BBC Sport. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  31. "Neil McCann: Dundee manager leaves role after 18 months in charge". BBC Sport. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  32. "Neil McCann to take charge at Inverness while John Robertson is on compassionate leave". Sky Sports. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  33. Coyle, Andy (13 May 2021). "Inverness appoint Robertson as club's first sporting director". STV Sport. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  34. "Inverness Caley Thistle: Neil McCann agreement always temporary, explains Scot Gardiner". BBC Sport. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  35. Lewis, Jane (2 June 2017). "Neil McCann: New Dundee boss says taking the job on a permanent basis is no 'gamble'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  36. "Managers: Neil McCann". Soccerbase. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
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