Jackie McNamara

Dunfermline Athletic

McNamara joined Dunfermline Athletic from Gairdoch United on 17 September 1991.

Celtic

McNamara moved to Celtic for a £600,000 fee on 3 October 1995. He made an impressive start to his Celtic career, being named PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year in 1996. McNamara won his first trophy with the club in the 1997–98 season when Celtic won the Scottish Premier Division, preventing arch-rivals Rangers from winning ten-in-a-row, which would have seen them eclipse Celtic's record of nine-in-a-row. He was recognised for his performances this season by his fellow players when being named the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year in 1998 and finished runner-up to Craig Burley for the SFWA award. He featured regularly in the Celtic first eleven until the arrival of Martin O'Neill in the 2000–01 season saw him become more of a fringe player, although he did score the opening goal in the 2001 Scottish Cup Final, a 3–0 win over Hibernian at Hampden Park. He was suspended for their 3–0 victory over Kilmarnock at Hampden Park in the 2001 Scottish League Cup Final. McNamara re-established himself in the team in 2003–04 and was awarded the SFWA Footballer of the Year in 2004, beating off competition from his teammates Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton. The following year McNamara was named captain when Paul Lambert was injured. McNamara proved himself a consistent and reliable performer on the field, playing almost every game in the league in the…

Under-21

McNamara made his debut for the Scotland national under-21 team in a 2–1 away win over Greece on 13 December 1994, in a 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier. His first goal came in the reverse fixture, a 3–0 home win on 15 August 1995. McNamara finished his under-21 career with 12 caps and one goal, earned between 1994 and 1996.

Senior

McNamara was capped once by the B team, in a 3–0 away defeat to Denmark on 23 April 1996, before making his debut for the senior team in a 2–0 away win over Latvia in a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier on 5 October 1996. He was selected for the Scotland squad in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He did not feature in the opening match, a 2–1 defeat against defending champions Brazil in Paris. His introduction from the bench in Scotland's second match, against Norway in Bordeaux, was seen as pivotal in wiping out a one-goal deficit. The game finished in a 1–1 draw, leaving Scotland with a chance of qualification to the knockout stages. Ultimately the efforts were futile as Morocco were victorious in St Etienne with a 3–0 win in the final match and Norway managed to qualify from the group with a win against Brazil. McNamara earned 33 caps for Scotland between 1996 and 2005.

Partick Thistle

McNamara began his managerial career at Partick Thistle where he was appointed caretaker manager on 15 April 2011, after Ian McCall left his job. He was then appointed manager on a one-year rolling contract a month later. Thistle performed well in his second season as manager, reaching the Challenge Cup final and lying in second place in the First Division in late January 2013. At this point he left Thistle to take the vacant position at SPL club Dundee United. McNamara was replaced at Partick Thistle by Alan Archibald, a former Thistle and Dundee United defender.

Dundee United

McNamara's first match in charge of his new club was a fifth round Scottish Cup tie with Third Division Rangers on 2 February 2013. United won 3–0, with Johnny Russell putting the home side ahead in the first minute of the match. The following week United defeated Hearts 3–1 in McNamara's first Scottish Premier League match as manager of the side. It was the side's first league win at home since August 2012. On 24 February 2014, McNamara extended his contract with Dundee United until 2017. McNamara's first full season at Tannadice saw United reach the Scottish Cup Final, which his side lost 2–0 to St Johnstone. The following season United lost the League Cup Final to Celtic, 2–0. The latter few months of that season also saw a sharp dip in United's form following the sale in January 2015 of Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong. Reports following Dundee United's 2–1…

McNamara was born at Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow and is the son of Jackie McNamara Sr., a former professional footballer, and Linda Houston. He played youth football for Cumbernauld Colts and Falkirk-based Gairdoch United.