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Kirsty Maclean
Personal information
Full name Kirsty Maclean
Date of birth (2005-04-12) 12 April 2005 (age 19)
Place of birth Barrhead, Scotland
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Rangers
Number 23
Youth career
Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021– Rangers 52+ (8+)
International career‡
2019 Scotland U15 2 (0)
2018–2020 Scotland U16 4 (0)
2022 Scotland U17 4 (1)
2022– Scotland U19 9 (0)
2023– Scotland 7 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 November 2024

Kirsty Maclean (born 12 April 2005) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Rangers of the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) and the Scotland national team.[1]

Club career

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A pupil at Barrhead High School, where she achieved five Highers in 2022,[2] Maclean progressed through the girls' academy at Rangers (although she is a supporter of St Mirren[3] where the women's section of the club play at a low level having only been established in 2018). She made her senior debut during the 2021–22 Scottish Women's Premier League season aged 16, making a handful of appearances as Rangers won their first championship.[4] Along with teammates Jodi McLeary and Emma Watson, she signed a professional contract in August 2022.[5][6]

After establishing herself as a regular in the squad during the 2022–23 season, in which she also made four appearances (three starts) in the UEFA Women's Champions League, was introduced as a late substitute in Rangers' win over Hibernian in the SWPL Cup final and was nominated for the PFA Scotland Women's Young Player of the Year, Maclean signed an extended contract in May 2023.[7] The campaign ended in disappointment on a collective level, however, as Rangers lost their title with a home defeat to Glasgow City on the final matchday,[8] then were defeated by their other local rivals Celtic in the 2023 Scottish Cup Final (the first Old Firm women's final and the first played at Hampden Park) a week later.[9]

Rangers won the 2023–24 Scottish Women's Premier League Cup[10] and the 2023–24 Scottish Women's Cup[11] (Maclean missed the first final due to injury and started in the second) although they missed out on the SWPL championship again, this time on goal difference. Maclean was nominated for both the PFA Scotland Women's Players' Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year[12] but lost out on both awards to clubmates Rachel Rowe and Mia McAulay respectively;[13] however, she was named in the Team of the Year.[14]

Playing style

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As a midfielder with a low centre of gravity, good ball control and passing skills, her style of play has been compared to that of Andres Iniesta[15] and Erin Cuthbert.[3]

International career

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Maclean has represented Scotland at under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-19 levels,[16] as well as a schoolgirl international for three consecutive years.[3]

She was called up to the Scotland senior team for the first time for a friendly double-header against Northern Ireland and Finland in July 2023;[17] she made her senior international debut as a substitute in a 3–0 win over Northern Ireland at Dens Park in Dundee.[18]

Career statistics

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International

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Statistics accurate as of match played 31 May 2024[16]
Scotland
Year Apps Goals
2023 6 0
2024 1 0
Total 7 0

Honours

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Rangers

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "K. MacLean". Soccerway. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  2. ^ Erin Paterson (11 August 2022). "Barrhead High student Kirsty juggles exams and football training". Barrhead News. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Girls International Squad 2019, Scottish Schools' Football Association. "She plays for the Glasgow Rangers U19 team and is a St Mirren supporter. Kirsty has been likened to her favourite player, ex-SSFA and full Internationalist Erin Cuthbert"
  4. ^ a b Heather Miller (8 May 2022). "Rangers Win Park's Motor Group SWPL 1 Title!". Rangers FC. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Gers youngsters sign professional contracts". Rangers FC. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  6. ^ "'Historic milestone' for Ibrox graduates". BBC Sport. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Kirsty Maclean signs contract extension". Rangers FC. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Rangers 0 Glasgow City 1 RECAP as Celtic denied SWFL title by last gasp Lauren Davidson goal". Daily Record. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  9. ^ Celtic retain Scottish Women’s Cup at Hampden with victory over Rangers, The Guardian, 28 May 2023
  10. ^ "Rangers Women 4-1 Partick Thistle Women: Jo Potter's side retain Sky Sports Cup with comfortable win at Tynecastle". Sky Sports. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  11. ^ Canavan, Amy (26 May 2024). "Rangers 2-0 Hearts". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  12. ^ PFA Scotland Player of the Year award: Jack Butland, Matt O'Riley, Lawrence Shankland & James Tavernier shortlisted, Alison Conroy, Sky Sports, 6 May 2024
  13. ^ "Lawrence Shankland, David Watson & Rangers trio win PFA awards". BBC Sport. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  14. ^ Rangers most featured in SWPL team of the year, BBC Sport, 21 April 2024
  15. ^ "SWPL: Glasgow City strike late to maintain lead at top". BBC Sport. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023. [15:15] Ohhhhh wow! Take a bow Kirsty MacLean! No keeper in the world is stopping that! Hearts haven't got a foothold in this game at all, Rangers haven't allowed them out. They steal the ball in the middle and 'Wee Iniesta', as she is nicknamed, smacks it in from 25 yards out..
  16. ^ a b "Kirsty Maclean". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  17. ^ Graham Falk (27 June 2023). "Scotland squad announcement: Rangers starlet receives first call up ahead of July friendlies". The Scotsman.
  18. ^ "Scotland 3–0 Northern Ireland". BBC Sport. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  19. ^ Report: Rangers 2-0 Hibernian - The Gers Lift The Sky Sports Cup, Rangers FC, 11 December 2022
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