Alec McNair

Who was Alec McNair?

Alec McNair was a Scottish football player and manager. He played as a defender for Celtic and represented the Scotland national team in fifteen official internationals between 1906 and 1920. McNair also represented the Scottish League XI 16 times. He then managed Dundee from 1925 until 1928.

McNair began his career at Stenhousemuir. He played at inside right and was a regular goalscorer, helping the club win the Scottish Qualifying Cup in 1901 and 1902. McNair also played in the Stenhousemuir team that reached the Scottish Cup semi-final in 1903, losing 4-1 to Rangers.

In May 1904, McNair signed for Celtic. McNair initially played in a variety of positions, but when right-back Donnie McLeod left in 1908, McNair made that position his own. He was an integral part of the Celtic side that won six successive league championships from 1904-05 to 1909-10. McNair had exceptional positional sense and ability to anticipate his opponents moves. He was a precise tackler and had confidence in his ability to dribble the ball out of his own penalty area rather than rashly boot it forward. McNair was a calm and composed personality, and his demeanour earned him the nickname 'The Icicle'.