Paul Hegarty
Personal information
Full name Paul Anthony Hegarty
Date of birth (1954-07-25) 25 July 1954 (age 69)
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Tynecastle Boys Club
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1974 Hamilton Academical 67 (17)
1974–1990 Dundee United 493 (52)
1990 St. Johnstone 14 (1)
1990–1992 Forfar Athletic 40 (1)
Total 628 (76)
International career
1978 Scottish League XI[1] 1 (0)
1979–1983 Scotland 8 (0)
Managerial career
1990–1992 Forfar Athletic
1999 Aberdeen
2002–2003 Dundee United
2008–2009 Livingston
2015–2016 Montrose
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Paul Anthony Hegarty (born 25 July 1954) is a Scottish football player and manager. He was captain of Dundee United during their most successful era in the 1970s and 1980s, winning the Scottish league championship in 1983 and the Scottish League Cup twice. Hegarty won eight full international caps for Scotland. He has managed Forfar Athletic, Aberdeen, Dundee United, Livingston and Montrose.

Playing career

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Hamilton Academical

Hegarty's senior career began as a striker with Hamilton Accies in 1972.

Dundee United

In November 1974, Dundee United manager Jim McLean signed him for a fee of £27,500. Two years later, McLean transformed Hegarty's career when he experimented by pairing him with Dave Narey in United's central defence. The partnership they forged would be integral to United's successes for over a decade and Hegarty would develop into a top class central defender. As club captain, Hegarty led United to their first ever major trophy, the Scottish League Cup in 1979, which they retained the following year.

In 1982–83, Hegarty was an ever-present as United captured the Scottish League title.[2] Hegarty temporarily played as a goalkeeper during a match against Morton that season, after Hamish McAlpine was injured.[2] He also featured in many notable victories in European competition, albeit injury restricted his participation in United's run to the 1987 UEFA Cup Final.

In recognition of his contribution to Dundee United, the club allowed him to leave on a free transfer in January 1990.

St Johnstone

He briefly played for St. Johnstone, helping them to promotion.

Scotland

Hegarty represented his country between 1979 and 1983, captaining the side against Northern Ireland in his eighth and final appearance for Scotland. He is widely regarded as one of the best central halves to have never been a regular for Scotland. He also turned out for the under-21 side as a permitted over-age player and represented the Scottish League.[1]

Coaching career

Hegarty's first coaching role was with Forfar Athletic as player/manager. The team were relegated in 1992 and Hegarty left shortly afterwards.

He then had coaching roles with Dundee United (leaving Tannadice in 1995), Hearts and Aberdeen. Following the dismissal of Alex Miller in January 1999, he was appointed Aberdeen manager on an interim basis. However, despite saving the club from relegation, Aberdeen elected at the end of the season not to continue with Hegarty in the job on a long-term basis.

Once again, Dundee United offered Hegarty a coaching role. This became a manager role in October 2002 after chairman Eddie Thompson was unable to prise first-choice Ian McCall from Falkirk.[3] Initially appointed as caretaker,[4] Hegarty's role was to be extended until the end of the season[5] before he was sacked in January 2003 – and subsequently replaced with McCall.[6]

Hegarty continued to work in coaching, having been on the staff of both Livingston[7] and then Dunfermline.[8] While at Dunfermline, Hegarty was approached by Inverness CT to be part of the management with former Dundee United colleague Maurice Malpas,[9] although the move never materialised. He was eventually appointed as assistant to Malpas at Motherwell on 25 May 2006,[10] although later replaced by Scott Leitch when Malpas was sacked in June 2007.[11]

In March 2008, Hegarty became one of new Scotland manager George Burley's scouts for the World Cup qualifying group.[12] In December 2008 he was appointed as the manager of Livingston after Roberto Landi was sacked.[13] Livingston had severe financial problems, however, and Hegarty left the post a few months later. He left his position with the Scotland national team in November 2009.[14]

Hegarty returned to Dundee United in February 2010.[15] Following the resignation of manager Peter Houston in January 2013, Hegarty was named as the club's caretaker manager. While he was due to take charge of an SPL match against Motherwell, the match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, and Jackie McNamara was named as the club's manager before the next match came around.[16] Hegarty left the club soon afterwards.[17]

Hegarty returned to management in February 2015 when he was appointed manager of Montrose, then placed last in Scottish League Two.[18] He couldn't prevent the side from finishing last at the end of the 2014–15 season which was the first season that a new play-off system with a non-Scottish Professional Football League from both the Highland Football League and Lowland Football League. The club won the first two-legged final against Brora Rangers of the Highland Football League to avoid relegation. Soon after, Hegarty was appointed permanent manager on a two-year contract at Links Park alongside assistant and former United teammate John Holt.[19] Hegarty was sacked by Montrose in November 2016, after a run of bad results left the club in ninth position in the league.[20][21]

Personal life

Hegarty's elder brother Kevin played for Dunfermline Athletic as did his nephew (Kevin's son), Ryan.[22][23] His son Chris came through the Dundee academy and had a 13-year playing career with teams across the north-east of Scotland, including Peterhead, Arbroath, Forfar Athletic and two spells with Montrose, the latter of which saw Chris end his career having been signed by his father.[24]

Career statistics

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Scotland League Scottish Cup League Cup Europe Total
1972–73 Hamilton Academical Scottish Division Two 81 22 N/A N/A N/A 81 22
1973–74 N/A N/A N/A
1974–75 N/A N/A N/A
Dundee United Scottish Division One 17 4 2 0 - - 19 4
1975–76 Premier Division 33 8 3 1 4 0 3 2 43 11
1976–77 36 6 1 0 6 3 - 43 9
1977–78 36 4 4 2 8 3 2 0 50 9
1978–79 36 5 1 0 2 0 2 0 41 5
1979–80 27 0 2 0 7 2 4 0 40 2
1980–81 33 3 7 2 11 4 4 1 55 10
1981–82 36 2 5 0 7 0 8 2 56 4
1982–83 36 3 1 0 10 0 8 2 55 5
1983–84 36 4 3 0 10 0 8 1 57 5
1984–85 33 2 5 0 6 0 6 3 50 5
1985–86 36 5 5 0 5 0 6 1 52 6
1986–87 23 4 4 1 4 0 7 0 38 5
1987–88 41 1 9 1 3 0 4 0 57 2
1988–89 29 1 6 0 2 0 4 0 41 1
1989–90 31 0 5 0 2 0 3 0 41 0
St Johnstone Scottish First Division 14 1 N/A N/A - 14 1
1990–91 Forfar Athletic 40 1 N/A N/A N/A 40 1
1991–92 N/A N/A N/A
Career total 654 76 63 7 87 12 69 12 873 107

Honours

Player

Dundee United
St Johnstone

Individual

Managerial statistics

As of 12 November 2016
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L Win %
Forfar Athletic Scotland 1990 1992
Aberdeen (interim) Scotland January 1999 May 1999 16 4 1 11 025.00
Dundee United Scotland October 2002 January 2003 18 4 5 9 022.22
Livingston Scotland December 2008 April 2009 19 6 5 8 031.58
Montrose Scotland February 2015 November 2016 71 20 14 37 028.17
Total 124 34 25 65 027.42

See also

References

  1. ^ a b [Paul Hegarty http://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/players/paulhegarty.html]
  2. ^ a b Winton, Richard (28 December 2020). "Clocks, bridies & Jim McLean's pyjamas – Dundee Utd's 1983 title win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  3. ^ "McCall stays with Falkirk". BBC Sport. 9 October 2002. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  4. ^ "Hegarty given time at United". BBC Sport. 6 October 2002. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  5. ^ "Hegarty lands United job". BBC Sport. 5 November 2002. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  6. ^ "Dundee Utd appoint McCall". BBC Sport. 13 February 2003. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  7. ^ "Hegarty joins Livi". BBC Sport. 2 January 2004. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  8. ^ "Cleland replaces Hegarty". BBC Sport. 21 June 2004. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  9. ^ "Caley Thistle make approaches". BBC Sport. 10 November 2004. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  10. ^ "Hegarty made Motherwell assistant". BBC Sport. 25 May 2006. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  11. ^ "Malpas leaves post at Motherwell". BBC Sport. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  12. ^ "Sunday's gossip column". BBC Sport. 30 March 2008. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  13. ^ "Livi confirm Hegarty as new boss". BBC Sport. 5 December 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
  14. ^ Burley sacked as Scotland manager, BBC Sport, 16 November 2009.
  15. ^ "Hegarty confirms Tannadice return". BBC News. 2 February 2010.
  16. ^ "Jackie McNamara: Dundee United players can thrive in heat of a packed house". Daily Record. Glasgow. 1 February 2013.
  17. ^ "Dundee United announce club great Paul Hegarty's departure from Tannadice". Daily Record. Glasgow. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  18. ^ Holme, Ben (19 February 2015). "Ex-Dons boss Hegarty takes over at Montrose". Evening Express. Aberdeen. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  19. ^ "Hegarty signs new Montrose deal – Scottish Professional Football League". spfl.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  20. ^ "Paul Hegarty sacked as Montrose manager". Montrose Review. Johnston Publishing Ltd. 16 November 2016. Archived from the original on 17 November 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  21. ^ "Montrose look for new manager after sacking Paul Hegarty". BBC Sport. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  22. ^ "SEASON 1995-1996". Dunfermline Athletic FC.
  23. ^ "Ryan's career ended at 22". Daily Record. 3 September 1998 – via TheFreeLibrary.
  24. ^ "Chris Hegarty (footballer, born 1984)", Wikipedia, 8 July 2023, retrieved 31 July 2023

External links

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