name	Paul Telfer
Height	5.09
Weight	11.06
Date of birth	21-10-1971
Place of birth	Edinburgh
Position	Defender
Nationality	Scotland
International Caps	1
International Goals	0

Career

	From	To	Fee	League		FA Cup		League cup		Other
Celtic	22-07-2005	02-04-2007	£ 200,000	56 (1)	1	3 (0)	0	5 (0)	0	7 (1)	0
Southampton	31-10-2001	22-07-2005	Free	112 (15)	1	12 (0)	0	5 (2)	0	1 (1)	0
Coventry	11-07-1995	31-10-2001	£ 1,150,000	178 (13)	6	15 (4)	4	15 (0)	2	0 (0)	0
Luton	07-11-1988	11-07-1995	Trainee	136 (8)	19	14 (0)	2	5 (0)	0	2 (0)	1
Totals	£ 1350000	478 (36)	27	42 (4)	6	30 (2)	2	9 (2)	1
	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	Apps	Goals	Apps xxxxxxxx	Goals	Apps xxxxxxxxxx	Goals	Apps	Goals

KDS Honours

• 29-Oct-06 MOTM 06-07 Killie 1 v 2 Celtic SPL

Summary

Born 21 October 1971 in Edinburgh

The 33-year-old signed a two-year contract and becoming Strachan's sixth summer signing of 2005. [BBC]

Strachan previously signed Telfer on a Bosman from Coventry in 2000 for Southampton. [BBC]

He has 1 cap for Scotland.

Paul Telfer left Celtic on 2nd April 2004 (BBC)Played his last game in the Champions League v AC Milan. A great way to end a good career.

He made a total of 73 appearances for the club, scoring one goal.

Retired from all football in December 2007 due to injury (link).

Review
Few other players, that this writer can think of, in their careers can surely have had as a dramatic a turnaround with the respect given to him by the fans as that with Paul Telfer. Admittedly bought as a stop-gap player (e.g. he was over 35/experienced/old), he did end up playing a much greater role for the club than even I’m sure WGS believed he would.

Having come from one of WGS’ prior clubs (Southampton) ridiculous rumours flew about as to just why Telfer was at Celtic (e.g. he was WGS’s Brother-in-law etc). Although, yes it is true he was relatively slow (he was in his 30s), he wasn’t though as unmobile as many make out. His performances were genuinely workman-like and never amazing, but his ability was never up their with the best, and after the Artmedia debacle (we were knocked out of the Champs Lge in the qualifiers) he was too an easy target for many. The financial fall-out meant we couldn’t replace him and he played a far bigger regular role than anticipated, giving extra ammunition for the boo boys against WGS as well as himself.

Replaced by Wilson in his second season in the defence, he ended up in "squad" role anticipated by many for him. However, an injury to Wilson meant he was back in the first team, and excusing the first game v Man U away in the Champs lge, where he was a bit poor, he was solid and dependable and he seemed to grow on the fans with most getting off his back. Dependable is a word which could be used to describe him, and to everyone’s surprise he ended up securing the rightback role for himself even once Wilson was back.

In many ways playing for Celtic was something that he probably never expected in his career, having only ever played for uninspiring clubs. An artilce with him noted a conversation between Telfer and WGS:

An old man, it should be emphasised, that the Champions League has made very happy. Strachan also related a recent talk between the pair in a sauna. “He was feeling his hip,” says the manager, “and I said, ‘When did you do that?’ and he replied, ‘Away to Benfica in the Champions League’, then he paused and said, ‘I never thought I’d utter that sentence in my life’. It wasn’t easy for him last summer with his family, but he didn’t want this chance to go away. I think his wife will realise now that this was a chance he couldn’t let go.”

The crowning achievement for himself (possibly his career!) was starting against AC Milan in the Champs Lge, even though we lost in extra time 1-0 after 180 mins of no goals in two legs, but he gave a very good account of himself. The second game was his last for Celtic, and he was at the age when his family was more of a concern than anything else and he decided to leave 2months before the end of the season to be with them (his family didn’t settle in Glasgow).

Not everyone’s favourite, but at the end of it all he gave a very good account of himself. Should have been better appreciated in his first season, but hope we made up for it in the second. We wish him all the best for the future.

All Clubs

1988-1995 Luton Trainee
1995-2001 Coventry £1.15m
2001-2005 Southampton Free [BBC]
2005-2007 Celtic Free [BBC]

Pictures

• Player Pictures

Articles

• Interview - "Wiling to take the Flak" 2006-10-01 (S Times)
• Interview - "Fond Farewell" 2006-12-03