[Player Pics]

Quiet man Jimmy McStay signed for the Bhoys in November 1920 from the Royal Scots Fusiliers.

The former Larkhall Thistle man made his debut in a 1-0 league victory at Clyde in November 1922. But it took McStay a little while to settle in at Celtic Park and his early performances as a left-half did not endear himself to the support or the directors.

Jimmy’s distribution to his forwards was initially poor and he displayed a tendency to give the ball away far too cheaply. The younger brother of Hoops hero Willie, McStay’s future at the club was seriously in doubt when in February 1924 Willie Maley decided to give the player a run out as centre-half.

Maley’s instinct that Jimmy would make a more than useful defender was proved right. McStay took to his new position like a natural and before long he had gone from being on the verge of a free transfer to becoming a vital member of the team.

McStay quickly established himself as the very heart of the Celtic defence. His no nonsense approach to his job made Jimmy one of the most effective defenders in the game. He was not flashy but he did the simple things very well and he became a model of consistency with a string of excellent performances.

Although not overtly physical, no forward relished coming up against McStay because they knew the Celtic man would give them little opportunity to flourish. He read the game well and time after time he would simply win the ball before clearing his lines.

A generally reserved character Jimmy liked to lead by example and his regular thwarting of some of the finest attacking talents in the game often inspired both team-mates and the support. There were few as dependable as McStay and he seldom, if ever, let his beloved club down.

He succeeded his brother as Bhoys skipper in 1929.and his assured ways helped guide the Celts to Scottish Cup glory in April 1931.

In November of that year, as captain of the Scottish League, McStay led his side to a famous 4-3 victory over their English counterparts at Celtic Park in a match where Everton’s legendary forward Dixie Deans was marked out of the contest by a brilliant performance from the Celtic man.

He may not have been the most flamboyant of characters but Jimmy McStay’s devotion and contribution to the Celtic cause was immense. He was eventually freed by the club in 1934 and went on to join Hamilton Academicals. By then Jimmy - the great uncle of Paul, Willie and Raymond McStay - had made 472 appearance for the Hoops and scored 8 goals. A great member of a fine Celtic dynasty.

Manager : 1940 - 1945

McStay took up his appointment as manager on 19 February 1940, and was dismissed on 23 July 1945. At no time was he in charge of the team for Scottish Cup or Scottish League matches, since these competitions were suspended during wartime. It is also doubtful that he really had much control over team affairs. Certainly he was handicapped not only by wartime conditions in general, but by the club's own directors' seeming indifference to Celtic's performances in wartime football