McGlinchey, Michael

Personal

Fullname: Michael Ryan McGlinchey
aka: Michael McGlinchey
Born: 7 Jan 1987
Birthplace: Wellington New Zealand
Signed: 26 Dec 2005
Left: 31 May 2008
Position: Midfield/Striker
Debut: Celtic 2-1 Livingston, SPL, 26 Dec 2005
Internationals: New Zealand
International Caps: 54
International Goals: 5

Biog

Michael McGlinchey, who was born in New Zealand but brought up in Glasgow, was once said to be one of Britain’s most wanted teenage footballers.

Michael McGlinchey was paraded at Celtic Park aged just 15 after supposedly knocking back Manchester United. Martin O’Neill and the late Tommy Burns turned up at his house with flowers for his mum to win him over.

In 2002 the Celtic wonderkid became the youngest player ever to make an appearance for the Hoops when Martin O’Neill gave him a game in a friendly against Wycombe at the age of 15.

Little sadly to say beyond that for him at Celtic as simply it didn’t work out. Michael McGlinchey made his competitive Celtic debut against Livingston as a substitute in December 2005, and almost made a name for himself in the game but he passed up a wonderful chance to put Celtic ahead. It was his sole appearance Celtic and he failed to impress, but he was young and time was on his side.

As he remarked much later on: “From my experience it’s hard to maintain the hype”.

During the 2007/08 season he was loaned out to Scottish First Division side Dunfermline Athletic until 20 January 2008. Although Michael McGlinchey was successful during his loan deal at the First Division club, his loan was terminated early after he suffered a groin injury.

There were hopes he could make it. He is said to have played a key role in Scotland Under-19s’ run to the 2006 European Championships final and featured for Scotland at the 2007 Under-20 World Cup. Gordon Strachan was a Celtic manager who was quite willing to give youth players a chance, but he claims that after Gordon Strachan criticised a few of the youth players who had played & lost with the Scotland U21s v Germany, then he knew he had little opportunities left at Celtic.

He was released by Celtic in May 2009.

He later conceded ahead of the 2010 World Cup, (he was now part of the NZ squad):

“I felt I was at Celtic a year-and-a-half to two years longer than I maybe should have been. When I got away I felt relieved, it was a chance to clear my head and start playing football again. I went so far with Celtic, won five reserve titles and youth cups but I just wasn’t getting any opportunities with the first team and it was time for me to move on.”

We hoped him all the best.

Post-Celtic
Allowed to trial with Dundalk and Toronto as his contract wound down. Following his release he went to Australia and after a two week trial with A-League club Central Coast Mariners won a two year contract with the New South Wales side. Immediately made an impact with the Mariners, He helped Central Cost Mariners to be the A-League Premiership and Championship winners in 2011-12 & 2012-13 respectively, and was rated in the PFA A-League Team of the Season for 2012-13.

He had defected to the New Zealand national side in September 2009 after the latest of FIFA’s regular edicts with reference to eligibility. Made his debut for the World Cup bound ‘All Whites‘ on 9 Sep 2009 in a 3-1 away win over Jordan. Joined Motherwell at the conclusion of A-League season 2009-10 in order to stay fit for the World Cup. Michael McGlinchey played in Motherwell’s last eight SPL matches of 2009-10.

However it wasn’t working out at Motherwell either, and he moved back to Australia to play in the growing “A-League” there. He helped Central Cost Mariners to be the A-League Premiership and Championship winners in 2011-12 & 2012-13 respectively, and was rated in the PFA A-League Team of the Season for 2012-13. Later had a spell in Japan and then back in New Zealand with the Wellington Phoenix, then bounced back to Australia for a return with the Central Coast Mariners.

He returned to Scotland with spells at Queen’s Park & Clyde to rundown the end of his playing career.

He never did manage to reach the great heights as his early potential had indicated towards. Despite that he, still won a fine career across the globe. At the international level, he may have had to opt for New Zealand but he won a number of appearances which was much to respect. There was still a lot of great football life for him beyond Celtic Park thankfully, even if it wasn’t necessarily all at an elite level.

“So when I look at my career now, I’m proud. To play 55 times for your country and to play in Japan, I’ve shown there’s life after not getting into Celtic’s first team.”

“I thought Michael would become a star for Celtic. There was a lot of hype surrounding him as a kid. I was interested in seeing if he would live up to that – and Michael did on our Scotland trips. I thought he would go places but it didn’t work out for him at Celtic and he fell away a bit.”
Mark Reynolds (M’well player & former Scotland juniors colleague)

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

Scottish League

• 2005-06

Pictures

• Player Pics

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/i-was-on-top-of-the-world-playing-for-celtic-but-now-1027273
MICHAEL McGLINCHEY chose Celtic over Manchester United when Martin O’Neill turned up on his doorstep and persuaded him to snub Old Trafford.

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ByScott McDermott

00:00, 14 JUN 2009Updated00:13, 2 JUL 2012

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MICHAEL McGLINCHEY chose Celtic over Manchester United when Martin O’Neill turned up on his doorstep and persuaded him to snub Old Trafford.

At 18 he had forced his way in to Gordon Strachan’s first team and was Scottish football’s hottest property.

The following year he rejected the chance to play for New Zealand’s full national side, instead representing Scotland at the Under-19 Euro Championships and Under-20 World Cup.

Now? At 22 he’s on the football scrapheap wondering when he will kick a ball again.

McGlinchey was released by the Hoops last month and has seen a move to FC Toronto fall through.

He now faces a summer of uncertainty as he tries to convince SPL managers to take a chance on him.

The midfielder impressed on loan at Dunfermline last term before a groin injury cut short his stint.

But the boy who was given a standing ovation by Parkhead fans when he made his top-team bow in 2005 is adamant he can still hack it at the top level.

And he wants to follow guys like Ross McCormack, Charlie Mulgrew and Stephen Dobbie by taking one step back to move two forward.

McGlinchey told MailSport: “I’ve played in Celtic’s first team and at a World Cup for Scotland. I haven’t turned into a bad player overnight.

“When I got the big breakthrough for Celtic against Livingston I thought ‘This is it’. I felt I could kick on and be involved every week.

Then it just stopped and I’ve never been back in.

“I actually watched the Livi game recently and I played quite well. I got a great reception from the crowd, it was 1-1 when I went on and we won 2-1.

“But a career can hinge on a manager’s decision. A few weeks later Gordon was about to put me on against Dundee United.

“Then they scored and I had to stay on the bench. Wee things like that can go against you and it’s hard to recover. It’s so disheartening and frustrating because all I wanted was to play for Celtic. Now I just want to play anywhere.” When McGlinchey knew his time was up at Parkhead, ex-Hoops striker Mo Johnston invited him for a trial in Toronto.

Slated

But despite scoring and impressing boss John Carver, MLS red tape prevented him from signing for the Canadian club.

He said: “I played in three games, scored and did well. They offered me a development contract but MLS red tape put an end to it.

“We got in touch with Toronto recently to see if they were still interested although Carver has now left.

“They want me to go over for another trial but I can’t afford to pay for flights again with no guarantee of a deal. I just want to play and definitely feel I’m good enough to be at that level or SPL.” McGlinchey has no regrets about knocking back Sir Alex Ferguson as a teenager and signing for his boyhood heroes.

But he admits when Strachan slated him after a Scotland Under-21 game he knew he’d never get another chance at Parkhead.

Michael said: “We started with an under-strength side and Germany destroyed us 2-0. A few Celtic boys were playing and the next day Strachan called us in.

“He said our performances just weren’t good enough. I was 20 and thought then my chance had gone.

“Now I use someone like Dobbie for inspiration. He looked down and out on loan at Dumbarton – now he’s just signed for Swansea.

“McCormack and Mulgrew have also proved there’s life after the Old Firm – that’s the kind of chance I’m looking for.”

Michael McGlinchey on the Celtic ‘kick in the teeth’ that sparked prodigy’s incredible globetrotting career

The 33-year-old is looking for a new club in Scotland as he targets the 2020 World Cup.
dailyrecord

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/michael-mcglinchey-celtic-kick-teeth-22713912

(Image: SUNDAY MAIL)

Michael McGlinchey can still hear the words coming out of Willie McStay’s mouth.

“What about going to play for East Stirling?”

It was the moment that changed the course of his career. Incredibly, just nine MONTHS after rejecting a move to the Shire, he was in the New Zealand team that qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Since then McGlinchey hasn’t looked back. Now 33, the former Celtic kid has played football around the globe. He has represented his 
country 55 times, played at the Olympic Games and earned a life-changing move to Japan.

That’s not to mention more than a decade’s worth of performances in Australia’s A League for Central Coast Mariners and Wellington Phoenix.

He has enjoyed a life experience most players can only dream about.

But now it’s time to come home. Family comes first and McGlinchey wants to get to the NEXT World Cup by performing on Scottish soil.
(Image: SUNDAY MAIL)

New Zealand have matches against Belgium and England next month as they prepare for their 2022 qualification campaign.

And if the midfielder shows the same kind of determination now that he did that day at 
Celtic’s training ground, who would bet against him achieving it?

Either way, McGlinchey can look back with a sense of satisfaction at how his career has panned out since January 2009 when ex-Hoops coach McStay suggested he take a huge step down.

He told MailSport: “It’s a moment that always sticks in my head. I was trying to get out on loan from Celtic. Willie told me Ross County were interested – but it was wrong information.

“So his advice was to go to East Stirling where Jim McInally was manager. They were in the fourth tier. I was 22 and Willie sensed I’d fallen out of love with football. So he told me to go to part-timers East Stirling to get it back.

“That was THE moment for me. I thought: ‘You know, I’m better than that.’ It was a kick in the teeth for someone to say go to the fourth tier and see what you can do?

“I thought: ‘No.’ And for the next six months I knuckled down and 
eventually went to Australia.

“I got a contract with Mariners and off the back of that played for New Zealand. We qualified for the World Cup in November 2009.
(Image: SNS Group 0141 221 3602)

“So in the same calendar year, I’d been told to go to Shire – and also went to the World Cup! If I’d have just accepted it and gone to East Stirling, I don’t think I’d have had a football career at all.

“But I wasn’t prepared to go to that level. It has always stuck in my head, I remember every detail of it. It was a real trigger.”

Plenty of young Scottish 
players would do well to listen to McGlinchey. Failing to make the grade at an Old Firm club can set many youngsters back.

But he’d encourage anyone to believe in their own ability and show a resilience to succeed.

He said: “When I left Celtic I was lost for a few months. I remember thinking: ‘What’s out there for me?’ I trained with Partick but wasn’t offered anything – I couldn’t get a trial anywhere.

“So when I look at my career now, I’m proud. To play 55 times for your country and to play in Japan, I’ve shown there’s life after not getting into Celtic’s first team.

“I’ve had an international career and I’m still trying to push that. My aim is to keep going for the next couple of years and play in another World Cup.

“So I’d say it has been a success so far. It has been a fantastic life experience as well, 
completely different. I’ve spoken to young boys in Scotland who ask me: ‘How did you do it?’ But I tell them I just believed in what I could do.

“And I was prepared to go anywhere to do it. I once went to Toronto for a trial. I had to pay for my own flights. It didn’t work out but it didn’t put me off. As soon as I heard of the interest from Australia, I was on the flight over there.

“And the rest is history really. To do what I’ve done as a foreign player – because in the A League you’re only allowed five – is a big achievement.
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

“I can take pride that I’ve been successful in that environment. It’s been a different journey to a lot of players and now it’s brought me home.”

McGlinchey has always been technically gifted and he’s now looking for a Scottish club who will play to his strengths.

He believes that will keep him in the thoughts of New Zealand head coach Danny Hay.

He said: “It’s time to come home, for family reasons more than football. My wife has been travelling around the world with me for 12 years.

“We still have a house in Australia so we could go back one day. But we want to give the 
grand-parents a chance to get to know our kids.

“And as much as I’m getting towards the end of my career, I still have a few years left in me.

“New Zealand’s World Cup campaign is giving me the drive to keep on playing at a good level.
“I’d love to find a team who suits my style of football but I definitely feel I can do a good job for someone here.

“We had a great lifestyle in Australia and could have stayed there. I had interest from a new Sydney franchise club over there. We had a home next to the beach, it was sunny most days and we’d be out having barbecues all the time.

“But our family wasn’t there. We didn’t have the grand-parents or cousins to share it with.

“It’s difficult with young kids. They don’t want to sit on FaceTime anymore so you get to a point where you think, ‘Maybe it’s time to go home.’

“We’ve all got New Zealand passports now so we can go back one day without needing visas.

“But for now we see our future in Scotland. It’s not about money for me any more.

“The New Zealand games coming up are 
massive, like England at Wembley. The coach wants to play a specific way, which is really good for me, so I want to stay in the mix.”