Kenny Dalglish

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Dalglish grew up supporting Rangers, with their pictures on his family's walls when assistant manager Sean Fallon visited them in a tower block overlooking Ibrox. He signed professionally in May 1967 but spent his first season at Cumbernauld United, where he scored 37 goals while working as an apprentice joiner. Returning to Celtic, he joined the 'Quality Street Gang' reserves, winning the Reserve Cup Final with a hat-trick against Rangers. After a difficult start to his first-team career in 1969–70 where he failed to score in four games, he found form as a forward in 1971–72, scoring 29 goals including a hat-trick against Dundee. He became captain in the 1975–76 season, a year the club failed to win a trophy for the first time in 12 years due to manager Jock Stein's injury. The deal to leave was unpopular with fans; he was booed when returning to Celtic Park in August 1978.

In Their Own Story

On 14 August 1971, Dalglish scored his first competitive goal for the Celtic first team, converting a penalty kick in a 2–0 win over Rangers at Ibrox Stadium. By the end of that season, he had scored 29 goals in 53 games, helping Celtic secure their seventh consecutive league title. In the following campaign, he became the club's leading scorer with 39 goals across all competitions as they won the league once more. The 1973–74 season saw Celtic reach the European Cup semi-finals, where Dalglish described a violent tie against Atlético Madrid as 'without doubt the worst game I have ever played in'. He added another Scottish Cup winner's medal in 1975, providing the cross for Paul Wilson's opening goal. His final spell included leading the team to a league and cup double in 1976–77 with 27 goals before his departure.

Reader's Guide

Dalglish's time at Celtic spanned from signing in May 1967 to his transfer in August 1977. He began as a loanee at Cumbernauld United (37 goals) and progressed through the reserves, known as the 'Quality Street Gang'. After struggling to score early in his first-team debut season, he switched from midfield to forward and scored 29 goals in 1971–72. Key achievements include four league titles, three Scottish Cups, one League Cup, and being the club's top scorer in 1972–73 with 39 goals. He served as captain during the 1975–76 season. He left after making 320 appearances and scoring 167 goals.

Did You Know?

• Dalglish grew up supporting Rangers and had their pictures on his walls when Celtic's assistant manager visited him.
• He scored 37 goals for Cumbernauld United while working as an apprentice joiner during a loan spell.
• In a testimonial match for Frank Beattie in May 1971, Dalglish scored six goals in a 7–2 win over Kilmarnock.
• He was booed by Celtic fans when he returned to Celtic Park in August 1978 for a testimonial match for Jock Stein.