I'm related to one of Celtic's greatest ever players – but I've left Hoops to kickstart my career at another club
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
IT's never easy to carry such a famous name on your back and follow in the footsteps of such an iconic figure in Scottish football.
It's even more challenging when there's not one or two legends in the family, but a long list of famous faces who have been involved in the game.
Sign up for the Celtic newsletter
Sign up
2
Another relative of Paul McStay is an up and coming football star
Credit: Alamy
2
Another branch of the family tree includes Celtic players Paul, and Willie McStay, pictured with their father
Credit: Steve Welsh - The Sun Glasgow
But unlike her three cousins Raymond, Willie and Paul - who all played for Celtic - Olivia McStay has left the East End of Glasgow to begin a new chapter of her career at the age of 17.
Olivia is a third-generation star who is the latest to carry the family DNA in the sport.
A Scotland Under-17 international, Olivia is one of our most promising stars in the women's game.
But after years in the Celtic youth team, she is no longer a prospect at the club which her cousin Paul captained throughout the age levels and in the first team.
Instead, she has decided to swap clubs and join Hamilton Accies after the club confirmed she has penned a pre-contract agreement with the South Lanarskshire outfit.
Olivia spent last season on loan from the Hoops and has decided to make the move permanent this summer.
But she could return to face her old team in the coming months after helping Accies win promotion to the top flight by clinching the SWPL 2 title.
A statement from Accies read: "We are thrilled to announce the capture of Scotland U17s international defender @OliviaMcStay_
on a pre contract agreement from Celtic.
"Olivia spent last season on loan from the Glasgow side & has made the move permanent for 25/26.
"Welcome back Liv."
Thousands of Celtic fans march to Hampden for Scottish Cup final vs Aberdeen amid heavy police presence
Olivia is the daughter of Jock McStay - famous for his stint with Raith Rovers and front and centre in one of Scottish football's most notorious incidents.
He was on the receiving end of Duncan Ferguson's famous headbutt at Ibrox in 1994 - one of the most infamous moments in Scottish football history.
He played for nine clubs around Scotland and starred 262 times for the Kirkcaldy club.
Football flows through the family veins as Willie's son - also John - is currently a coach at Celtic like his dad was, and Paul's son Chris most recently starred at Clyde alongside Peter Grant's son Ray.
Beyond the three brothers, their father was a scout for the Hoops - who discovered Kieran Tierney - and their great-uncles Jimmy and Willie McStay both successive Celtic captains and Scotland internationals.
They also had a cousin Francis who played for Motherwell - but that was more than a century ago.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
21 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Reid revs up for Wimbledon with LTA's Lexus British Open title
The Scottish wheelchair tennis star, 33, joined forces with long-term partner Alfie Hewett to decisively down Martin De la Puente and Ruben Spaargaren in the men's doubles final. The dynamic duo, who have won a remarkable 23 Grand Slam titles together, dropped just two games in waltzing to a 6-0 6-2 triumph to head into next week's SW19 showpiece with momentum. Reid hailed the LTA for putting on the Grand Slam precursor and hopes it will stand him and Hewett in perfect stead for their All England Club title defence. 'We're very happy with the performance today and happy with the result,' he said. 'Those guys (De la Puente and Spaargaren) are a dangerous team so we had to play well and I think we did that today. 'It's great preparation for all of us to be here on these courts this week, so big thanks to Kirsty (Thomson, LTA Tournament Director) and the team for a great event.' Reid had lost to Hewett, a 33-time Grand Slam champion, in the singles semi-finals the previous day in south-west London. But they put aside their differences to beat Daniel Caverzaschi and Zhenxu Ji and book their place in the final later on Thursday afternoon. There they met Spaniard De la Puente and Dutch player Spaargaren, who battled admirably but were unable to prevent the all-British duo from comfortably closing out yet another title. Hewett heads into Wimbledon as both the defending singles and doubles champion after memorably grabbing a pair of triumphs on home soil last year. Earlier in the day in Roehampton, the 27-year-old had rousingly rallied from behind to beat experienced Argentine Gustavo Fernandez and also clinch singles glory to prepare for his SW19 title defence. And he reckons that 2-6 6-4 6-4 triumph can set the perfect blueprint for more hometown success. 'I have to try and perform at the same level and intensity I did in the second and third sets today,' he said. 'There are a lot of strong players and this week was the perfect opportunity to test myself. 'I take a lot of confidence from it but next week is an even bigger one to try and manage. 'I'm delighted - playing on home turf is a really special feeling and you want to do as well as you can, especially in the lead up to an event like Wimbledon. 'It's been a great week – I've been building as it's gone on which is what you want to do.' For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
I was a teen mum – staff wouldn't even let me get my kid's ears pierced, I had to call GRAN for permission
A YOUNG mum has lifted the lid on raising a baby as a teenager - and revealed she's even had to call in her own mother for 'parental permission'. Rebecca, now 26 and a mum of three, regularly gives an insight to her family life on TikTok (@rebeccasharon_x) where she boasts almost 24,000 followers. 4 4 She first became a mum at 15 whe she gave birth to daughter Olivia, now 11. And she admits it was "pretty wild" being responsible for a baby when she still faced age restrictions of her own. In a TikTok video, she said: "I have been a mum since I was a child. I always think it's so weird how I was a mum and I couldn't even buy like a lottery ticket. I couldn't even buy alcohol. I wasn't even old enough to leave school yet. "Having a baby at 15 is pretty wild because you're not allowed to do anything." "But I wouldn't have had it any other way", she continues. "Because it's the most amazing thing ever being a mum, no matter what age you are. "She's like my wee best friend. She's my bestie even though she doesn't even want to hang out with me anymore half the time. "I really do believe that I was supposed to be a mum young because I love being a mum and I think when my kids are older and they don't really need me as much I'm gonna be so lost. "I don't know anything else but being a mum. I'll not know what to do with myself." Rebecca - also mum to Arabella, two, and 10-month-old Maisie - revealed she was even dismissed as Olivia's parent by workers when she took her daughter in to get her ears pierced. She had attempted to treat her little girl to the piercings when she was in primary one but was left stunned when an employee didn't believe she was her mum. Recalling the incident, Rebecca said in her TikTok clip: "See being a younger mum right? It's all fun and games until nobody believes you. "Olivia's going to get her ears pierced and it just reminded me of the time Olivia got her ears pierced like the first time. "So I took her down to get her ears pierced when she was going into primary one. She was so adamant she wanted it done. "So I took her down to the shop to get them pierced and I said to the woman 'oh she's going to get her ears pierced' and stuff and then she was asking me how old I was and all that and if I was her parent. "I was like yeah, that's my daughter." At this point, Rebecca was forced to call her own mum to come down to the store and vouch for her. 4 4 She continued: "I had to go and get her gran to come back down with me because the woman didn't believe that I was her mum. "I was the parent, I was consenting for her to get her ears pierced and I had to go and get gran." Rebecca's clip, captioned "A memory I will never forget", quickly racked up 77,000 views. And it turns out she's not alone, as other young mums shared their own memories in the comments. One said: "I remember years ago my mum took my to get my belly button pierced ( she had me when she was very young ) and the woman REFUSED service without proof of my birth certificate and said she 'didn't believe' my mum, she was heartbroken." A second wrote: "I've had this SO many times. Or I've been with family members and they assume they are the parent." Meanwhile, a third chimed in: "I used to get this anytime I went to A&E or the doctors with the kids, my dad always takes us and they would speak to him as if we were both his children." Relieved, Rebecca responded: "Yess!!! I'm glad I'm not the only one."
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
'John wanted to be an aristocrat in football, and he attained it': Poignant tributes shared as mourners bid a final farewell to Lisbon Lion Clark
Celtic great John Clark attained footballing immortality as a member of the club's famous European Cup-winning Lisbon Lions side, the mourners at his funeral have heard. The defender from Lanarkshire, who played more than 300 times for the Glasgow club, died last month at the age of 84. His most famous match was undoubtedly the 1967 European Cup final in the Portuguese capital when Celtic defeated Inter Milan 2-1 to become the first British side to lift the European Cup — a victory that ensured a place in footballing folklore for the players and manager Jock Stein. Celtic stars past and present gathered in the east end of Glasgow yesterday for the funeral mass at St Mary's Church in Calton — a setting synonymous with Celtic, with the club's formation traced back to a meeting in the church hall in 1887. One of the last surviving Lisbon Lions, Jim Craig, attended, as did current manager Brendan Rodgers, club captain Callum McGregor and several other members of the first-team squad. Roy Keane and Ian Wright, who both played for Celtic, and former club captain and manager Neil Lennon were among the many well-known footballing figures in attendance. Portuguese flags hung from the balconies inside the church during a service that also heard the Celtic anthem You'll Never Walk Alone played on the organ. At the start of the mass, priest Father John Mulholland extended his sympathies to Clark's widow, Eileen, his children Mairi and Martin, his three grandchildren and other family members. He then reflected on the legacy created by Clark and his team-mates from 1967. 'How many people would be able to name those 11 men without even thinking, they are second nature to all of us, simply because of what they did that afternoon,' he said. 'That immortality has gone with them for what is now nearly 60 years — wee boys at school can rhyme off the names of the Lisbon Lions.' Delivering the homily, priest Father Mark O'Donnell described Clark as a 'happy and quiet man' who was known for his displays of 'authentic kindness'. Clark's association with Celtic extended long beyond the end of his playing days. He also served spells as coach, assistant manager and kit man. As well as his European Cup winners' medal, Clark also won four league championships, three Scottish Cups and four League Cups during his playing career. Former players Roy Keane and Ian Wright turned out to pay their respects to the Parkhead icon In a 25-minute eulogy, renowned Scottish football commentator Archie Macpherson hailed Clark as the 'most modest and genial footballer' he had ever encountered. The broadcaster also shared his memories of the final whistle in Lisbon. 'I remember the scenes well. I remember the scenes of the players at the end, utterly exhausted and the supporters pouring on. The goals themselves you all know about, you've seen them so often,' he told mourners. 'And, yes, the word has been used — immortal — about Stein and the others, and that is the case. 'For myself, personally, I am simply a privileged man to have been there and rubbed shoulders with the greats, saw in that glorious sunshine a Scottish victory that nobody will ever forget. 'And John was part of that, the wee Lanarkshire boy who grew up wanting to be an aristocrat in football, and attained it. 'But, he showed his other side by becoming the kit man at Celtic Park. And I remember so many times from different players talking about how this man could suddenly do that, and he did it simply. 'He wanted Celtic still to be a success, and although he wore his boots magnificently, he also carried other people's boots and their jerseys just to keep Celtic going. 'That gives you an idea of another side of his personality. Yes, I'm honoured to have met him, honoured to have been in Lisbon and certainly honoured to be with you today.' After the service, hundreds of fans braved wet and windy weather outside Celtic's Parkhead stadium to pay their own tributes as the cortege passed. The mourners gathered at Celtic Park in response to an invite to send a 'final farewell to one of the club's greatest ever servants'. The fans applauded as a cortege passed by the stadium.
