Darren Jackson
Personal information
Full name Darren Jackson[1]
Date of birth (1966-07-25) 25 July 1966 (age 57)[1]
Place of birth Edinburgh,[1] Scotland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1986 Meadowbank Thistle 48 (22)
1986–1988 Newcastle United 69 (7)
1988–1992 Dundee United 87 (30)
1992–1997 Hibernian 173 (50)
1997–1999 Celtic 29 (3)
1998–1999 → Coventry City (loan) 3 (0)
1999–2001 Heart of Midlothian 55 (7)
2001 → Livingston (loan) 9 (1)
2001–2002 St Johnstone 9 (1)
2002 → Clydebank (loan) 13 (2)
Total 495 (123)
International career
1995–1998 Scotland 28 (4)
1995[3] Scotland B 1 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Darren Jackson (born 25 July 1966) is a Scottish former professional footballer, who played predominantly as a forward. Jackson played for several clubs in Scotland and England, including Newcastle United, Dundee United, Hibernian, Celtic and Heart of Midlothian. Jackson played 28 times for Scotland and was selected in their 1998 FIFA World Cup squad.

Since retiring as a player, Jackson has worked as a football agent and coach.

Playing career

Club

Jackson began his career in 1985 with Meadowbank Thistle in Edinburgh, while he worked full-time as a printer for George Stewarts in Edinburgh. Twenty-two league goals won him a move south. After 9 games at the outset of Meadowbank's 1986–87 league campaign he joined Newcastle United in October 1986.[4] Jackson made his Newcastle debut as a substitute for Ian Stewart in a 2–1 defeat at home to Arsenal on Saturday 18 October 1986, in which he won a penalty for his side.[5][6] In two years with the Magpies, Jackson scored seven goals.

He returned to Scotland in late 1988 with Dundee United. After being ruled out for six months of his first campaign with a broken ankle which initially went undetected,[5] Jackson spent four years at Tannadice, picking up a 1990–91 Scottish Cup runners-up medal and finishing that season as the club's top scorer with 18 goals.

Jackson joined Hibernian in 1992.[5] During his five years at Easter Road, he was a runner-up again, this time in the 1993–94 Scottish League Cup.

He moved to Celtic in 1997 as Wim Jansen's first signing,[7] but soon had to be treated for hydrocephalus[8] that required surgery in September 1997.[5] He was playing again within three months[9] as Celtic went on to win both the League and League Cup.[5] The following season, Jackson fell out of favour and had a spell on loan with Coventry City. He scored Celtic's first official goal in the revamped UEFA Champions League competition in 1998.[10]

He next joined his boyhood heroes Hearts.[5] In July 2000, Jackson revealed he intended to move into management once his playing career finished.[11] In October, he was barred from playing for Hearts due to the impending trigger of a clause enforcing a one-year extension to his contract,[12] seeing him discuss a possible return to former club Dundee United.[13] After United signed Charlie Miller instead,[14] Jackson negotiated a deal to return to first-team action at Hearts,[15] only to find himself surplus to requirements when Craig Levein was appointed three weeks later.[16]

In January, Jackson joined Livingston on a month's loan,[17] subsequently extending it until the end of the season.[18] During this time, Hearts released him from his contract.[19] After winning the First Division title with Livi,[20] scoring one goal in the process against Falkirk,[21] Jackson was not offered a permanent contract. He returned to the Premier League with St Johnstone on a one-year deal.[22] Jackson made nine league appearances for Saints, scoring once against Dundee,[23] before being allowed to join Clydebank on loan in January 2002, where scored a début goal in a 1–0 win.[24]

International

Jackson won 28 caps for Scotland, scoring four goals. Making his début in March 1995, Jackson was also in the starting line-up for a fixture against Estonia in Tallinn in October 1996, but a scheduling dispute meant the home team did not adhere to a quickly-rearranged afternoon kick-off time, and the match was abandoned at kick-off with no caps awarded to the Scotland players; the fixture was re-arranged for the following February, but Jackson was not selected.[25][26]

He was part of the Scotland squads for UEFA Euro 96 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup,[5] playing in two of the World Cup matches. Jackson played two further games after the tournament, appearing in the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying matches against Lithuania and Estonia.

Agent and coach

Despite Jackson's earlier vow to move into management,[11] he became an SFA agent[27] representing players including fellow Scots Jackie McNamara, Mark Wilson and Steven Thompson.[28] In February 2013, Jackson relinquished his agent status to join client and former Celtic teammate McNamara – recently appointed as manager of Dundee United – as a coach.[29] While at the club, United lost the 2014 Scottish Cup and 2015 Scottish League Cup Finals.[30] Jackson left Dundee United in September 2015, following McNamara's departure.[31][5] Three months later he was declared bankrupt.[32] He then served as assistant manager to Gary Locke at Raith Rovers, until both were sacked by the club in February 2017.[33]

Jackson was appointed first team coach at St Mirren in June 2018,[34] but left in September following the departure of manager Alan Stubbs.[35]

Career statistics

Club

Club Season League Cup Lg Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Meadowbank Thistle 1985–86 39 17 39+ 17h
1986–87 9 5 – – – – 9+ 5+
Total 48 22 48+ 22+
Newcastle United[36] 1986–87 23 3 2[a] 0 – – 1 0 26 3
1987–88 31 2 3 1 3 1 – – 37 4
1988–89 15 2 – – 2 0 3[b] 0 20 0
Total 69 7 5 1 5 1 4 0 83 9
Dundee United[37] 1988–89 1 0 – – – – – – 1 0
1989–90 25 7 5 1 1 0 1[c] 0 32 8
1990–91 33 12 6 2 4 3 3[c] 1 46 18
1991–92 28 11 2 0 1 0 – – 31 11
Total 87 30 13 3 6 3 4 1 110 37
Hibernian[38] 1992–93 36 13 4 1 1 0 2[c] 1 43 15
1993–94 40 7 2 0 4 1 – – 46 8
1994–95 30 10 5 1 3 0 – – 38 11
1995–96 36 9 1 0 2 2 – – 39 11
1996–97 30 11 4 1 3 0 2[d] 2 33 12
Total 173 50 16 3 13 3 4 3 206 59
Celtic[39] 1997–98 23 3 3 1 2 1 3[c] 1 31 6
1998–99 6 0 – – 1 0 7[e] 1 14 1
Total 29 3 3 1 3 1 10 2 45 7
Coventry City (loan) 1998–99 3 0 – – – – – – 3 0
Heart of Midlothian[40] 1998–99 9 1 – – – – – – 9 1
1999–00 35 6 3 1 3 2 0 0 41 9
2000–01 11 0 0 0 1 0 2[c] 1 14 1
Total 55 7 3 1 4 2 2 1 64 11
Livingston (loan) 2000–01 9 1 4 0 – – 0 0 13 1
St Johnstone 2001–02 9 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 10 1
Clydebank (loan) 2001–02 13 2 0 0 – – 0 0 13 2
Career total 495 123 44+ 9+ 32+ 10+ 24 7 595+ 149+
  1. ^ Appearances in Full Members' Cup.
  2. ^ 2 appearances in Football League Centenary Trophy; 1 appearance in Full Members' Cup.
  3. ^ a b c d e Appearances in UEFA Cup.
  4. ^ Appearances in relegation play-offs.
  5. ^ 2 Appearances, 1 goal in UEFA Champions League (qualification round); 2 appearances in UEFA Cup.

International

Scotland national team[41]
Year Apps Goals
1995 9 0
1996 5 1
1997 6 2
1998 8 1
Total 28 4

International goals

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 5 October 1996 Daugava Stadium, Riga, Latvia  Latvia 2–0 2–0 1998 WC Qualifying
2 1 June 1997 Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta  Malta 2–1 3–2 Friendly
3 3–2
4 22 April 1998 Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland  Finland 1–0 1–1 Friendly

Honours

Dundee United

Hibernian

Celtic

Livingston

References

  1. ^ a b c "Darren Jackson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Darren Jackson: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  3. ^ Scotland B player Jackson, Darren, FitbaStats
  4. ^ Darren Jackson, Sporting Heroes
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Darren Jackson: Illness and success were extremes of career, BBC Sport, 20 December 2015
  6. ^ Stats 1986-87, nufc.com
  7. ^ "Darren Jackson: Illness and success were extremes of career". BBC Sport. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Winners against the odds". BBC Sport. 20 July 2000. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  9. ^ "The Scotland Squad". BBC News & Sport website. 3 May 1998. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  10. ^ "Fergus McCann denied Darren Jackson full Champions League glory". Sunday Post. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Jackson eyes hot seat". BBC Sport. 20 July 2000. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  12. ^ "Contract row freezes out Jackson". BBC Sport. 31 October 2000. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  13. ^ "Jackson at United for talks". BBC Sport. 2 November 2000. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  14. ^ "Two new faces at Tannadice". BBC Sport. 3 November 2000. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  15. ^ "Deal allows Jackson to play again". BBC Sport. 17 November 2000. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  16. ^ "Jackson hurting after Hearts decision". BBC Sport. 7 December 2000. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  17. ^ "Hearts in transfer action". BBC Sport. 13 January 2001. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  18. ^ "Jackson extends life at Livingston". BBC Sport. 6 February 2001. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  19. ^ "Hearts release Jackson". BBC Sport. 4 April 2001. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  20. ^ "Livvy wrap up the title". BBC. 28 April 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  21. ^ "Scottish League Division One Results". The Daily Telegraph. London. 24 April 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  22. ^ "Saints sign up Jackson". BBC Sport. 21 July 2001. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  23. ^ "Slick Sauzee serves up a sizzler". The Guardian. 9 September 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  24. ^ "Clydebank 1–0 Cowdenbeath". BBC News. 19 January 2002. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  25. ^ Brewin, John (10 October 2014). "One team in Tallinn: when Scotland kicked off against nobody – and still didn't win". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  26. ^ Alan Brown and Gabriele Tossani (13 December 2018). "Scotland – International Matches 1996-2001". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  27. ^ "The Scottish FA: Players' Agents". Scottish Football Association. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  28. ^ Guidi, Mark (13 April 2008). "Back Gordon Strachan for next year's title shot, says Darren Jackson". Sunday Mail. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  29. ^ Nicholson, Eric (4 February 2013). "Darren Jackson 'absolutely buzzing' about returning to Dundee United". The Courier. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  30. ^ "The rise and fall of former Dundee United boss Jackie McNamara". The Courier. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  31. ^ "Dundee United confirm Jackie McNamara exit as manager". BBC Sport. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  32. ^ Former Celtic and Scotland striker Darren Jackson made bankrupt with debts of £270k, Daily Record, 22 December 2015
  33. ^ "Raith Rovers sack manager Gary Locke and assistant Darren Jackson". BBC Sport. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  34. ^ Barnes, John (13 June 2018). "Darren Jackson joins Alan Stubbs' staff at St Mirren". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  35. ^ "Darren Jackson: St Mirren part with first team coach after Alan Stubbs exit". BBC Sport. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  36. ^ Newcastle United players: Darren Jackson, Toon1892
  37. ^ a b Darren Jackson player profile, Arab Archive
  38. ^ a b Hibernian player Jackson, Darren, FitbaStats
  39. ^ a b Celtic player Jackson, Darren, FitbaStats
  40. ^ Darren Jackson, London Hearts Supporters Club
  41. ^ National Football Teams profile
  42. ^ "Livvy wrap up the title". BBC. 28 April 2001. Retrieved 14 April 2020.

External links

Scotland squads
Categories