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Fullname: David Hannah
Born: 4 August 1973
Birthplace: Coatbridge
Signed: 28 Dec 1996
Left: 5 Feb 1999
Position: Midfielder, Full back
Debut: 28/12/96 -v- Dunfermline
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps: 0
International Goals: 0
Biog
Signed at Christmas in the tumultuous 1996/97 season, David Hannah was a former youth team starlet of Tannadice who had fallen foul of infamous chairman Jim McLean and ostracised from the side. He had helped Dundee Utd to the Scottish Cup in 1993-94, their first ever, depriving Rangers of a second successive domestic treble. Dundee United chairman Jim McLean had always been an unwilling seller, especially to direct competitors, but Hannah was a special case. The player was bringing a court case against United, contesting the legality of the option clause of the contract he signed for the Tannadice club as a teenager.
David Hannah had the misfortune to arrive just as Tommy Burns’ era as manager was beginning to show the first signs of cracking under the pressure of trying to prevent a then record-equalling ninth championship by Rangers.
The midfield was particularly understaffed, with club captain and talisman Paul McStay sidelined by the ankle injuries that would curtail his season, and ultimately his career while the nightmare run of injuries that would inflict Phil O’Donnell’s Parkhead career was already beginning to bite. David Hannah was signed as a fall back after attempts to prise the veteran Andy Townsend away from Aston Villa were rebuffed, and in truth Hannah’s signing underwhelmed the over-critical Celtic support.
A peripheral figure as Celtic wilted that difficult first season, David Hannah looked to have made the unfamiliar position of right back his own following season under Tommy Burns’ successor Wim Jansen, as the Dutchman distrusted the defensive qualities of Jackie McNamara, so Hannah started the season on the right of the back four. David Hannah was to again drift out of contention as Wim Jansen’s preferred back four of Mahe, Rieper, Stubbs and Boyd took shape. Regardless, he played his part in helping Celtic to the league title, and also in some matches in the run to the League Cup title.
“At Celtic I was competing with Paul Lambert, Craig Burley, Lubo Moravcik. Paul McStay, Peter Grant and Paolo Di Canio. It wasn’t easy holding down a place in a side that had Henrik Larsson leading the attack.”
David Hannah
He also got to play for Celtic in the memorable UEFA matches v Liverpool which Celtic drew 2-2 in aggregate and were put out on the away goals.
Many Celtic fans never took to David Hannah on the field. Granted you could see his efforts but many were critical of his ability and some questioned his value. Renowned for some woeful finishing attempts, David Hannah’s solitary competitive first team goal for Celtic came via a generous deflection versus Welsh minnows Inter Cable-Tel in the 1997 UEFA Cup tie.
Joe Venglos took over the reins as manager for season 1998/99, and gave David Hannah a regular run of games for the first half of the 1997/98 season, which included a place in the highly celebrated 5-1 victory in November 1998 v Rangers. He was then dropped to the bench, and only was to play two further games for Celtic, in two victories 3-1 v Airdrie & finally 5-0 v St Johnstone both in the league.
After so many first team appearances it showed that the various coaches did have some confidence in him (even if many Celtic fans did not) and he was given more than enough time to develop. It was no easy environment with pressure to stop Rangers bid for ten-in-a-row and then to help reassert the team domestically. So he had to hit the ground running but in the end he fell by the wayside. He had played under three different managers in three seasons at Celtic which didn’t help matters, but he helped Celtic to a league title which must be respected.
He moved on back to Dundee Utd, and went on to have a good long career with them before serving numerous clubs till the winding down of his playing career.
Post-Celtic
Post Celtic he moved into management and coaching, with stints at Montrose, then in Iceland & Finland.
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Playing Career
| Club | From | To | Fee | League | Scottish/ FA Cup |
League cup | Other | ||||
| Montrose | 01/11/2008 | 01/06/2009 | Free | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Brechin | 11/03/2006 | 14/05/2006 | 7 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | |
| Bury | 31/01/2006 | 11/03/2006 | Free | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| St Johnstone | 10/06/2004 | 31/01/2006 | Free | 29 (2) | 2 | 1 (0) | 0 | 1 (1) | 1 | 5 (1) | 1 |
| Ross County | 28/03/2003 | 10/06/2004 | Free | 38 (0) | 1 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 3 (0) | 0 |
| AEL Limassol | 09/07/2002 | 28/03/2003 | Signed | No appearance data available | |||||||
| Dundee Utd | 05/02/1999 | 14/03/2002 | £300,000 | 141 (14) | 16 | 8 (0) | 3 | 6 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Celtic | 28/12/1996 | 05/02/1999 | £650,000 | 28 (13) | 0 | 3 (4) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | 4 (1) | 0 |
| Dundee Utd | 04/09/1991 | 28/12/1996 | Signed | 60 (6) | 7 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Hamilton Thistle | 01/08/1990 | 04/09/1991 | No appearance data available | ||||||||
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
Honours with Celtic
Scottish League
Scottish League Cup