The Squad > Midfielders > Neil McCann

Brief Player Report:

Scotland winger Neil McCann became Dick Advocaat's tenth signing when he joined Rangers from Hearts for £1.6 million in December 1998.

He made his debut coming on as a substitute against his former club in Rangers' 3-2 League victory at Tynecastle on December 19.

McCann, a speedy and skillful player who likes to get wide on the left flank, had made his international debut just three months before as a second-half substitute in Scotland's 0-0 draw with Lithuania in a European Championship qualifier in September 1998.

McCann, born in Greenock, joined Dundee from Port Glasgow boys club and made his first League appearances for the Dens Park side in the 1992-93 season.

The man who gave him that contract at Dundee, Jim Duffy, regarded him as a model professional. Duffy said: "He would be out there all day, playing five-a-sides, head tennis, practising corners or passing moves or working in the gym. He was always looking to improve."

McCann was in the Dundee side that reached the League Cup Final in 1995 where they lost 2-0 to Aberdeen.

At the end of that season, having scored five goals in 79 League games for Dundee, he signed for Hearts for £200,000 in July 1996.

He played 73 League games for Hearts, scoring 18 goals, and appeared in two Cup Finals for them against Rangers. The first was the 1996 League Cup Final which Rangers won 4-3 and the second was the 1998 Scottish Cup Final which Hearts won 2-1.

McCann said after signing for Rangers: "I'm delighted to be here. It gives me a big stage to play on and I'll give this club everything I've got."

He scored his first goal for Rangers in the 6-0 rout of Hamilton in the Fourth Round of the Scottish Cup and went on to notch eight goals in 20 starts for Rangers.

His two goals at Parkhead in early may were the strikes that brought the title back to Ibrox.

Craig Brown saw the improvement in McCann's game and he started his first international when Scotland faced the Czech Republic in the Euro 2000 qualifiers. An injury late in the season stopped McCann from adding to his caps tally.

But he made a return early this season and has already shown more of the skill that earned him his dream move to Ibrox.

Often used as a wide striker by Advocaat McCann's pace frightens defenders, and although his only goal this season came against PSV, his crosses have delivered plenty of goals for his fellow strikers.

Please note these player pages only get updated every so often this page was last updated 31/05/00

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