It’s not unusual for footballers to use their local leagues as a trampoline to boost their careers one step higher. It has happened in the past, and it will happen in the future. And it has happened to many Scottish players over the history of the Scottish Premiership. There are, actually, many Scottish players at various Premier League teams, often as a result of football transfer bargains. There are some, in turn, who stand out with the high number of games they’ve played for their teams.
5. Dominic Matteo
Born in Dumfries, Matteo started his football career at Birkdale United from where he moved on one year later to Liverpool’s youth team. From there, he was promoted to the first team in 1992, where he stayed for the next eight years. From Liverpool, he transferred to Leeds for four seasons, followed by three seasons at the Blackburn Rovers and finishing his career with two years at Stoke, after 276 Premier League appearances.
4. James Morrison
Morrison started his senior career at Middlesbrough after standing out several times from the club’s youth team. After three seasons, he transferred West Bromwich Albion where he still plays as a midfielder. Morrison was capped 46 times for Scotland, scoring three goals. So far, the number of his Premier League appearances total 310, most of them with The Baggies.
3. Paul Telfer
An Edinburgh native, Telfer still started his professional football career at Luton. From there, he went on to play for teams like Coventry City, Southampton, Celtic, Bournemouth, Leeds, Slough, and Sutton before ending his career as a player and transitioning to being a coach in 2011. During this time, he reached a respectable number of Premier League appearances – 319.
2. Gary McAllister
Gary McAllister was inducted in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2016 after representing his nation in 59 caps and nine years on the National Team. He started his career as a midfielder in 1981 playing with Motherwell from where he moved on to Leicester City four years later. He spent six seasons in total with Coventry City, he played for Leeds, and Liverpool before retiring from active play and transitioning to the role of a manager. With 325 games on record, he is the Scotsman with the second most Premier League games played in history (so far).
1. Darren Fletcher
Because the Scottish player with the most Premier League appearances (346 so far) is Dalkeith native Darren Fletcher. He started playing in his early years for local teams like Hutchinson Vale and Celtic Boys Club before being snatched by the talent scouts from Manchester United in 1995. He spent a dozen years playing with the club before transferring to West Bromwich Albion, and more recently to Stoke City where he currently plays as a central midfielder.
