Celtic Player of the Day – “The Ould General”, James McLaren

Commonly knows as “The Ould General”, James McLaren was in more or less at the very start for Celtic, moving west from Hibs when Celtic were founded. He had played for Hibs and had played with distinction for them in the Scottish Cup final victory of 1887.

He was one of those players in the early days who could play anywhere (positions were less clearly delineated then than now) from goalkeeper to goal scorer but it was in the midfield that he established himself.

He was always a great favourite at Celtic Park and became a favourite with all Scotland in 1889 when he scored the winning goal against England at the Oval, and in 1890 he played as captain for Scotland.

After scoring that winning goal against England at the Oval McLaren, having been asked to speak at the post-match celebratory dinner, was so terrified at the prospect that instead he shocked the room by simply planting his large left foot on the table and saying:

“There’s the fut that bate England!“…

He left Celtic in 1891 to play for Morton and Clyde, and also with Ginnett’s Circus who toured the country playing Exhibition games of football, including once, it was claimed, in front of Queen Victoria.

After he retired he worked with Glasgow Corporation for a while, but then emigrated to Canada, returned to Scotland with the Canadian Foresters in World War One (in an administrative capacity for he would have been too old to fight) and was seen at Celtic Park in early 1918 for Sunny Jim’s benefit match.

He died on his ranch near Vancouver in Canada in January 1927.