78 Facts About Stuart McCall

Andrew Stuart Murray McCall was born on 10 June 1964 and is a professional football coach and former player.

Stuart McCall is currently assistant manager of Preston North End.

Stuart McCall started his career with Bradford City, where he made his first-team debut in 1982.

Stuart McCall returned to Bradford City as captain to take them into the top division of English football for the first time in 77 years.

Stuart McCall won 40 international caps and scored one goal in the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.

Stuart McCall played in two European Championships but his international career ended after he was left out of the 1998 World Cup squad.

Stuart McCall was part of the coaching staff during his second playing spell at Bradford City, briefly serving as caretaker-player manager in 2000.

Stuart McCall continued his coaching at Sheffield United and was assistant manager to Neil Warnock until May 2007, when he returned to Bradford City as their manager.

Stuart McCall spent two and a half seasons in charge of Bradford City, leaving in February 2010.

Stuart McCall stayed at Fir Park for four years, helping the club finish second in the league twice.

Stuart McCall was appointed manager of Rangers in March 2015, but left the club at the end of a short-term contract.

Stuart McCall returned to Bradford City for a second spell as manager in June 2016.

Stuart McCall was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, to Scottish parents Andy, a former professional footballer, and Jean McCall.

Stuart McCall was the couple's third child after Leslie and Janette, who were 20 and 15 respectively when Stuart was born.

The family home was just round the corner from Leeds United's Elland Road ground where Stuart McCall would spend many Saturday afternoons watching United, dreaming of following his father and playing for Leeds, even after the family moved to Wortley.

Stuart McCall played football for Upper Wortley Primary School and Thornhill Middle School, even scoring a winning goal for the latter in a cup final when he came on as a substitute with his arm in a sling.

Stuart McCall moved schools to Harrington High and played for local young sides Pudsey Juniors, Holbeck and later Farsley Celtic.

Stuart McCall thought he had missed his chance of playing professionally after a string of other players were signed by professional clubs, until Farsley played Bradford City's junior side in a friendly and he impressed coach Bryan Edwards enough to be asked for a trial.

Stuart McCall was signed by George Mulhall in 1980 from Farsley Celtic on his 16th birthday, before becoming one of the club's two apprentices in June 1981.

Stuart McCall had played just six league games by 29 January 1983 when he made the first of 134 consecutive league appearances, all in midfield under new manager Trevor Cherry.

Stuart McCall's father had suffered severe burns and needed skin grafts on his hands and head and was in hospital for several weeks.

Stuart McCall became club captain in November 1986, aged just 21, after Peter Jackson moved to Newcastle United.

Stuart McCall had played 238 league games for the club, scoring 37 goals, and in total played 285 games, scoring 46 goals.

Stuart McCall was later outspoken in his autobiography, The Real Stuart McCall, about City's failure to strengthen the side to secure promotion.

Stuart McCall joined Everton at a time when its former triumphant side of the mid-1980s had broken up, following the ban on English sides competing in Europe, which marked the start of a period of underachievement at Goodison Park.

Stuart McCall was a substitute in the 1989 FA Cup Final when he scored Everton's stoppage time equaliser in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool to take the game into extra-time.

Stuart McCall made a second appearance in an Everton shirt at Valley Parade, when he was invited by former teammate Mark Ellis to bring a side for his testimonial.

In three seasons at Everton, Stuart McCall played 103 league games as well as earned his first caps with Scotland but he failed to lift any trophies as the club finished eighth, sixth and ninth in the league.

Under newly appointed manager Walter Smith, Stuart McCall ended up playing in the final six of the club's nine successive Scottish league titles, and with Rangers winning a string of cup competitions during that time, Stuart McCall picked up a total of ten major trophies north of the border.

Stuart McCall was substituted in the Scottish Cup final defeat to Hearts as Rangers went the season without picking up a single title for the first season in Stuart McCall's time at the club.

In February 2008, Stuart McCall became the 71st inductee into the Rangers hall of fame.

Stuart McCall stayed on for one more season before he was released by manager Nicky Law in May 2002, shortly before the club went into administration for the first time after finishing 15th in Division One.

Stuart McCall gave part of the proceeds from his testimonial to the Bradford burns research unit, which was set up following the 1985 fire.

Stuart McCall joined Sheffield United, where he played an integral part in their first-team side, despite being 38, and coached the reserves to the league title.

Stuart McCall played 71 league games over the next two seasons, and scored twice, including a winner against former side Bradford.

Stuart McCall was in the side that reached the Division One play-off final in 2003 as well as the semi-finals of both cup competitions that year.

Stuart McCall was picked for England and Scotland under-21 sides on the same day in 1984, and chose to join the England under-21 squad for their game against Turkey.

However he was only picked as a substitute and the referee blew the final whistle, with Stuart McCall waiting to come on.

Stuart McCall eventually switched allegiances to the latter, for whom he qualified through his father.

Stuart McCall made his Scotland debut at under-21 level in March 1988, ironically against England.

Stuart McCall made one more appearance for Scotland under 21s, against France in 1990.

Later the same year, Stuart McCall was called up to the Scottish senior team.

Stuart McCall played in five friendlies in 1990 which earned him a call up to the Italia 90 World Cup squad.

Stuart McCall played in all three of Scotland's World Cup games.

Stuart McCall represented Scotland at the European Championships in 1992, when they again failed to go beyond the group stage after defeats to Netherlands and Germany, and in 1996 when they were edged out in the first round by Netherlands.

Stuart McCall played just two qualifying games for the 1998 World Cup and his last cap came in a friendly against Denmark on 25 March 1998, as he was overlooked for the final squad for the finals in France along with team-mate Ally McCoist.

Stuart McCall was capped a total of 40 times for Scotland, scoring one goal.

Stuart McCall's caps included 11 while at Everton and 29 during his career with Rangers.

In July 2000, Stuart McCall accepted his first coaching role, when he was appointed assistant manager to Chris Hutchings at Bradford City, after Hutchings was promoted from the role to replace Paul Jewell as City manager.

Just four months later, Hutchings was sacked, and Stuart McCall was appointed as caretaker-player manager.

Stuart McCall was in charge for one more game, which ended in defeat, until Jim Jefferies was appointed the new manager.

Jefferies brought with him his own assistant Billy Brown, and Stuart McCall was appointed first-team coach.

Stuart McCall admitted in his autobiography, The Real Stuart McCall, he wanted to manage Bradford.

Stuart McCall had been linked with the manager's position at Bradford City on numerous previous occasions, and after Colin Todd was sacked on 12 February 2007, City chairman Julian Rhodes made McCall his number one target to take over in the summer.

On 22 May 2007, it was announced Stuart McCall would become manager of the club where he started his career, and on 1 June 2007 he assumed the position.

Stuart McCall set himself a target of earning promotion back to League One in his first season.

Bradford had just 13 players when Stuart McCall took over, and he made a number of summer signings including defender Darren Williams, midfielders Kyle Nix, Alex Rhodes and Scott Phelan, and strikers Barry Conlon, Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu and Peter Thorne.

Stuart McCall recorded his first win as a manager against Wrexham on 25 August 2007 after substitute Luke Medley scored a late winner, but despite his pre-season target his team spent much of the first half of the season in the bottom half of the table.

City's form continued to improve during the second half of the season, and Stuart McCall led his side to 10th place in League Two.

Later in the month, Lawn gave further backing to Stuart McCall, who was coming under pressure from the club's fans following a run of one win in nine games; during the run Stuart McCall was charged by The Football Association for the first time of his managerial career after he had contested a refereeing decision during a game with Luton Town.

Stuart McCall signed a new contract in February, which extended his deal by another two years and would have kept him at the club until 2011.

Stuart McCall set himself the goal of earning two promotions to put City in the Championship.

City eventually missed out on promotion, but Stuart McCall decided to stay on as manager and took a voluntary pay cut in the process because of the club's budget being reduced.

Stuart McCall attempted to sign the returning James McFadden and Ryan Stevenson, but both were unsuccessful.

On 24 January 2013, it was announced Stuart McCall would join the backroom staff of new Scotland national football team manager Gordon Strachan.

On 28 March 2013, Stuart McCall signed a new two-year contract with Motherwell.

Stuart McCall replaced them by signing Paul Lawson, Iain Vigurs, John Sutton, Fraser Kerr, Gunnar Nielsen and Stephen McManus.

Stuart McCall managed to persuade James McFadden to stay at the club.

Stuart McCall returned for a second period as manager of Bradford City on 20 June 2016, replacing Phil Parkinson.

Stuart McCall gave up his coaching role with the Scotland national team.

Stuart McCall was appointed manager of League One club Scunthorpe United on 27 August 2018.

On 4 February 2020, Stuart McCall was appointed Bradford manager for a third time.

Stuart McCall joined newly promoted Blackpool, as assistant head coach to Neil Critchley, on 22 July 2021.

Stuart McCall's father played for the club in the 1940s and 1950s, and his sister was born in the town.

On 25 November 2021, Stuart McCall left Blackpool to become assistant manager to Paul Heckingbottom at Sheffield United.

On 20 August 2024, following Heckingbottom's appointment, Stuart McCall was appointed assistant manager at Championship club Preston North End.

Stuart McCall was a box-to-box midfielder characterised by his tireless running, tackling and weighing in with an average of one goal every 11 games.

Stuart McCall was a passionate player with a strong desire to win games.