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Personal
Fullname: Paul McGowan
Born: 8 Oct 1987
Birthplace: Bellshill
Height: 5’06
Signed: 1 Jul 2005
Left: 5 Jun 2011 (permanent)
Position: Striker, Forward
Squad No.: 55
Debut: Celtic 5-0 Inv Caley, League, Sep 2007
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps none
Biog
Paul McGowan was recruited to the Celtic Pro Youth Academy at the age of 12. He joined the club full time as a 16 year old and made a number of U19 games in his first season at the club. A stocky, pacy forward he continued to gain exposure in the U19’s through 2005/06.
At the start of 2006/07 he went on loan to Morton initially for a 4 month period which was extended to the whole of the season. He scored a total of 16 goals in 44 competitive matches there and was the club’s top scorer receiving a League winners medal as Morton won the promotion from the Second Division. Morton failed to land the player in the summer transfer window as the club believed him to be a player for the future at Celtic. Later he had a short loan spell at Hamilton, scoring 3 goals in 14 games.
He made his Celtic debut in the 5-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in September 2007.
Paul McGowan made his Champions League debut against Villareal CF on 10 December 2008, as a 75th minute substitute for Aiden McGeady. Celtic won the match 2-0 but finished bottom of their group.
On 17 December 2009, just over a year to the day of his European debut, McGowan made his Europa League debut in a 3-3 draw away to Rapid Vienna. In all honesty the team that played that day were a reserve side. He made an impact in the 91st minute by scoring his first competitive goal for the Hoops to complete a sensational comeback from 3-0 down (after just 20mins) to draw 3-3 at the death. He was highly lauded for his efforts and performance on that day especially in the conditions (-8C temperature).
However, displacing the higher profile & expensive players (e.g. Samaras, Fortune, McDonald) was too much for the youth player, and time was running out for him. Best hope was to move to midfield if at all.
It wasn’t to be for young Paul McGowan, and the squad under Neil Lennon was over-laden with midfielders so any opportunities to shift others around on his return to make a role for him in the first team at Celtic after loan spells away were highly unlikely.
He left permanently for St Mirren after a loan spell there, and we hoped him all the best.
Interestingly he was to hold a notable personal record in match play. Until Ryan Christie’s performance v Lazio in October 2019, Paul McGowan was to be the last Celtic player to both score and assist in a European game (excluding qualifiers), Paul McGowan’s goal & assist being against Rapid Vienna in December 2009. That is something to look back on and treasure, it took ten years for anyone to match his achievement, and Celtic had played quite a number of group games during that time.
Post-Celtic
Personal life went a bit awry, and faced jailtime after repeat affrays with the law, even having to wear electronic tags after an assault on a police officer which lost him out of two upcoming evening fixtures against Celtic!
After admitting to having issues with respect to drink & gambling, but seemed to faulter with later incidents. However, his clubs stood by him and after a few years with St Mirren (helping them to a league cup title) he went on to have a long career with Dundee, even becoming their team captain in a number of games.
He still ended up in bouts of trouble over later years. In December 2022, he got caught up in a police probe on gambling, along with ex-Celt Leigh Griffiths, all apparently linked to Dundee FC and nothing to do with Celtic, allegedly to do with a Dundee v Hearts match in December 2021. He was sent out on loan to Dunfermline (helping them to the third tier/Scottish League one title), and then was let go from Dundee at the end of the season.
[….]
Playing Career
| CLUB | FROM | TO | FEE | LEAGUE | Scottish/FA CUP | LGE CUP | OTHER | ||||
| APPS | GLS | APPS | GLS | APPS | GLS | APPS | GLS | ||||
| St Mirren | 01-Aug-10 | Free | 33 (0) | 1 | 5 (0) | 4 | 1 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | |
| Hamilton | 07-Jan-09 | 31-May-09 | Loan | 11 (3) | 1 | 2 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Morton | 01-Aug-06 | 29-Apr-07 | Loan | 35 (1) | 11 | 3 (0) | 1 | 1 (0) | 1 | 4 (0) | 1 |
| Celtic | 01-Jul-05 | 5 Jun 11 |
Youth | 2 (4) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (1) | 1 |
Honours with Celtic
none
| KDS Honours |
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| MOTM Winners 2009-10 | ||
| 20-Mar-10 | Celtic 3-0 St Johnstone |
SPL |
Pictures
St Mirren sign up Celtic forward
Paul McGowan has agreed a permanent move to Greenhill Road after a successful loan spell.
STV.net
06 June 2011 15:24 GMT
St Mirren sign up Celtic forward
Paul McGowan has signed a deal that will keep him at St Mirren until 2013. Pic:
St Mirren have announced the signing of Paul McGowan from Celtic on a permanent basis.
The forward spent last season on loan at the Buddies and has now agreed a full transfer, signing a two-year contract.
McGowan is a product of the Celtic youth system and had made appearances in domestic football and in Europe during his time at the Parkhead club. He moved to St Mirren on loan last summer and made 35 appearances, scoring six goals, as Danny Lennon’s side fought a successful campaign against relegation.
Lennon has acted quickly to add another forward to his squad, with McGowan’s signing coming alongside the capture of Nigel Hasselbaink on a free transfer.
Hasselbaink, who served his apprenticeship at PSV Eindhoven, was at Hamilton Accies last season, scoring four goals in 28 appearances.
The signings are St Mirren’s second and third of the close season, with former Rangers and Dundee United striker Steven Thompson having agreed a move to the club after leaving English Championship side Burnley.