Personal
Date of Birth: Sunday, 8th December 1963,
Birthplace: Airdrie, Scotland
Nationality: Scottish
International Caps 30
International Goals 2

Playing Career

Years	Club	Apps	Goals
1981-83	Motherwell	40	15
1983-87	Celtic	145	98
1987-98	Man United	355	88
1998	Motherwell	11	0

Awards
Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year 1987
Scottish Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year 1987

Celtic Career Review

Brian McClair was one of the most prolific strikers to ever pull on the famous Hoops.

The Airdrie-born forward was signed for a bargain £75,000 by Billy McNeil in June 1983 from Motherwell as the Bhoys searched for a replacement for Arsenal-bound Charlie Nicholas. However, by the time McClair played his first game for the Hoops McNeill had departed the club and it would be new boss Davie Hay who would benefit from this astute piece of transfer business.

McClair had been a highly sought-after schoolboy footballer who had a brief spell at Aston Villa before returning to Scotland in August 1981 to sign for Motherwell and begin a computer maths degree at Glasgow University.

He caught the eye at Fir Park with some accomplished displays of finishing including a hat-trick against Rangers on January 3rd 1983. But despite this many Celtic fans believed the signing of this mostly unproven player as typical of the club’s attempts to replace big money departures with players of significantly less value and quality.

McClair’s debut came in a 1-0 League Cup victory over Brechin on August 24th 1983. He didn’t score on that occasion but it wasn’t too long before ‘Choccy’ began to prove himself as a more than capable striker. An awkward running style couldn’t disguise McClair’s many qualities. He had great anticipation, was a hard worker, had good touch and vision and was no slouch. Most importantly his finishing was top class.

Despite this McClair was not always a regular starter for Hay and the player made it known he was too good a striker to let his career pass by sat on a bench. He was right and in the end Hay could not afford to ignore McClair and his goals. The striker repaid the manager by playing his part in the famous league triumph of the 1985/86 season.

McClair had now developed into the most complete and prolific forward in Scotland. Yet while the Hoops support fully recognised his qualities and immense value to their team he was not taken to their hearts with quite the same fervour as his strike partner Mo Johnstone or predecessor Nicholas.

The quiet former student lacked the mass appeal of those two playboys. He shunned the limelight and the nightclubs and although possessing total confidence in his own ability he had neither the character nor inclination to play to the galleries. In comparison to Johnstone or Nicholas his play was simply not as eye-catching - but it was supremely effective.

So much so that he was now one of the most sought after strikers in Britain – if not Europe. It seemed McClair couldn’t stop scoring in season 1986/87. Even a trophyless season for the Bhoys couldn’t hide the fact that Celtic possessed one of the games top forwards – and one whose contract was soon to expire.

McClair had decided the time was right to move and he turned down an £80,000 a year deal to stay at Parkhead. Manchester United made a derisory £250,000 bid and with Celtic asking for £2 million it was the Bhoys who were justifiably left feeling hard done by when the tribunal set the fee at £750,000.

McClair would stay 12 years at Manchester United and in his first season at Old Trafford became the first United player since George Best to score 20 league goals. He would play a typically quiet but effective role in helping Alex Ferguson build a new and hugely successful dynasty with the Red Devils.

After spells coaching at Motherwell and Blackburn Brian McClair is now head of the youth set-up at Manchester United.



Links

• Brian McClair Testimonial

Further Links
Brian McClair Wikipedia Page
Brian McClair Football Heroes Page