John McPhail
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 27 December 1923 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 6 November 2000 (aged 76) | ||
| Place of death | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | right-half, centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1941–1956 | Celtic | 204 | (87) |
| National team | |||
| 1949–1953 | Scotland | 5 | (3) |
| 1950 | Scottish League XI | 2 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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John McPhail (27 December 1923 – 6 November 2000) was a Scottish international football player who spent his entire playing career with Celtic. On his retirement from playing football, he wrote for the Daily Record and The Celtic View. He was the elder brother of Billy McPhail, also a former Celtic player.
Born in Lambhill, Glasgow, McPhail attended St Mungo's Academy before signing for the club he supported, in October 1941, aged just 17. He initially played as a right-half and soon earned a nickname, "Hooky" due to his tendency to kick the football with the outside of his boot. The name stuck with him throughout his life.
McPhail's early years with Celtic coincided with a period of domination by their Old Firm rivals, Rangers. In 1948, McPhail was part of the Celtic team that only narrowly avoided relegation on the last day of the season. However, he did earn a winners medal in the Victory In Europe Cup in 1945.
In 1950 McPhail was transformed into a centre forward, a move that revitalised his career. During this season, he was "his side’s inspiration, and the idol of the supporters", according to author and historian Tom Campbell in Glasgow Celtic 1945-1970. He captained the team to a Scottish Cup victory in 1951, scoring 7 of the club's 19 goals in that competition, and the only goal of the final. This marked the first Cup success for the club in 14 years; it was followed by with a Coronation Cup victory in 1953 and a league championship title in 1954.
It was in this period McPhail earned 5 caps for Scotland, scoring 3 goals. He also played for the Scottish League.
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