{{short description|Scottish footballer (born 1970)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Use British English|date=July 2012}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Ray McStay | image = | caption = | fullname = Raymond James McStay<ref>{{Hugman|12941|accessdate=11 March 2017}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1970|5|16|df=y}} | height = | birth_place = Hamilton, Scotland | position = Midfielder | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Celtic Boys Club | years1 = 1987–1995 | clubs1 = Celtic | caps1 = 0 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 1995–1996 | clubs2 = Hamilton Academical | caps2 = 30 | goals2 = 5 | years3 = 1996 | clubs3 = →Hereford United (loan) | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1996–1997 | clubs4 = Cardiff City | caps4 = 1 | goals4 = 0 }} '''Raymond James McStay''' (born 18 May 1970) is a Scottish former footballer who played as a midfielder.
==Playing career== McStay began his career at Celtic, where his older brothers Willie and Paul, as well as his great-uncles Willie and Jimmy had already played. A product of Celtic Boys Club, McStay signed professional forms at the same time as youth teammate Gerry Creaney.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thecelticboysclub.co.uk/pastplayers.htm |title=The Celtic Boys Club Past Players |access-date=12 January 2011 |archive-date=30 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930181901/http://www.thecelticboysclub.co.uk/pastplayers.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Despite being regularly mentioned as having a big future at the club McStay had to wait until the 1992–93 season before being called into the Celtic first team and even then he only made the bench for a single league game against St Johnstone and was not called upon to play.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ntvcelticfanzine.com/the%2090s/90s9293pt3.htm |title=Season 92-93: Part 3 |access-date=12 January 2011 |archive-date=27 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427022439/http://www.ntvcelticfanzine.com/the%2090s/90s9293pt3.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
McStay left Celtic in January 1995 to sign for Hamilton Academical on a free transfer. He made 30 league appearances in nearly two years at the club although he spent summer of 1996 having an unsuccessful trial with Stade Lavallois.<ref>[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Oui+chance+for+McStay.-a061258574 Oui Chance for McStay]</ref> He subsequently had a trial with Wycombe Wanderers and was poised to sign for the club in October 1996 but the move fell through for undisclosed reasons.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Whats the Score?; All the Soccer News |newspaper= Sunday Mail |access-date= |date= 20 October 1996 |url= https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-61163806 }}{{dl|date=July 2021}}</ref> In late 1996 he was loaned to Hereford United where he did not play a league game before, during the 1996–97 season, playing a single game for Cardiff City. McStay quit football soon after this.<ref>[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Celts+snub+hasn't+just+hurt+Paul+..+it's+hurt+us+all%3B+EXCLUSIVE+by...-a061018530 Celts snub hasn't just hurt Paul .. it's hurt us all; EXCLUSIVE by RAYMOND McSTAY.]</ref>
In summer 1997, whilst on honeymoon in the Dominican Republic, McStay was admitted to hospital with severe stomach cramps and fever and was reported as suffering a "mystery illness"<ref>{{Cite news |title= Family fears as bug hits honeymoon Celt McStay |newspaper= Daily Mirror |via=HighBeam Research |access-date= 23 July 2014 |date= 9 July 1997 |url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-61077412.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150924160909/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-61077412.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 24 September 2015 }}</ref> and was described as critically ill.<ref>{{Cite news |last= Wright |title= McStay Critical on Hols Island |newspaper= Daily Record |access-date= |date= 9 July 1997 |first= Lesley |url= https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-61008754 }}{{dl|date=July 2021}}</ref>
==Post-football== McStay was the UK commercial director of Midgibyte, a Glasgow-based design consultancy business run by Paul McStay.<ref>[http://www.business7.co.uk/business-news/latest-business-news/2010/10/01/celtic-legend-s-heading-down-under-97298-22601404/ Celtic legend's heading Down Under]</ref> He now works at a Glasgow digital agency called MadeBrave.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Soccerbase}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McStay, Ray}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire Category:Scottish men's footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Celtic F.C. players Category:Hamilton Academical F.C. players Category:Hereford United F.C. players Category:Cardiff City F.C. players Category:Scottish Football League players Category:English Football League players Ray