# Rob McKinnon

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**Robert McKinnon** (born 31 July 1966) is a Scottish former [footballer](/source/Association_football) who played at both professional and international levels as a [left back](/source/Defender_(association_football)#Full-back).

Active in Scotland, England, and the Netherlands, McKinnon made over 500 League appearances in a career which lasted from 1985 to 2002.

## Career

### Early years in England

Born in [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow), McKinnon played youth football in [East Kilbride](/source/East_Kilbride) where his father coached a team.[3][4] He began his career playing [Junior](/source/Scottish_Junior_Football_Association) football with [Rutherglen Glencairn](/source/Rutherglen_Glencairn_F.C.)[5] before turning professional in 1985 with [Newcastle United](/source/Newcastle_United_F.C.);[6] however he only played one [league](/source/Football_League_First_Division) game for the *Magpies*, a heavy defeat to [Tottenham](/source/Tottenham_Hotspur_F.C.) in which he was replaced by [Paul Gascoigne](/source/Paul_Gascoigne) (whose career was also in its infancy).[6]

McKinnon moved on to [Hartlepool United](/source/Hartlepool_United_F.C.),[7] where he helped the club achieve promotion from English football's fourth tier in [1990–91](/source/1990%E2%80%9391_Football_League#Fourth_Division).[8] He also spent a short time on loan at [Manchester United](/source/Manchester_United_F.C.), although he did not play a competitive match for them.[7]

### Motherwell

In January 1992 McKinnon returned to Scotland and joined [Scottish Premier Division](/source/Scottish_Premier_Division) club [Motherwell](/source/Motherwell_F.C.).[7] He formed part of a strong team built by manager [Tommy McLean](/source/Tommy_McLean) and his successor [Alex McLeish](/source/Alex_McLeish) - Motherwell achieved third place in [1993–94](/source/1993%E2%80%9394_in_Scottish_football) and were runners-up in [1994–95](/source/1994%E2%80%9395_in_Scottish_football), and McKinnon gained international recognition along with teammates [Chris McCart](/source/Chris_McCart), [Brian Martin](/source/Brian_Martin_(footballer,_born_1963)) and [Paul Lambert](/source/Paul_Lambert).[9]

However, Motherwell could not afford the wages to keep the players, and McKinnon and Lambert decided to move to continental clubs on a [free transfer](/source/Free_transfer_(association_football)) when their contracts expired in summer 1996 under the recently implemented [Bosman ruling](/source/Bosman_ruling). Lambert signed for [Borussia Dortmund](/source/Borussia_Dortmund), and McKinnon made the move to Dutch football, joining [FC Twente](/source/FC_Twente).[10]

### Eredivisie and return

McKinnon played regularly with Twente in the [Eredivisie](/source/Eredivisie) for two seasons[11] – in [the first](/source/1996%E2%80%9397_Eredivisie), the team finished third and qualified for the following year's [UEFA Cup](/source/1997%E2%80%9398_UEFA_Cup).[12] He returned to Scotland with [Hearts](/source/Heart_of_Midlothian_F.C.) on another free transfer,[13] but was unable to hold down a regular place in the side. He went back to Hartlepool on loan during [1999](/source/1998%E2%80%9399_Football_League),[7] and had another loan with [Carlisle United](/source/Carlisle_United_F.C.) in [2000](/source/1999%E2%80%932000_Football_League)[14] before being released by Hearts.

He then moved down the divisions with [Clydebank](/source/Clydebank_F.C._(1965)) for two seasons,[5] before reverting to Junior football in 2002 with [Bellshill Athletic](/source/Bellshill_Athletic_F.C.) where he had a period as player-coach alongside former Motherwell teammate [Tommy Coyne](/source/Tommy_Coyne).[15] Finally he turned out for hometown club [East Kilbride Thistle](/source/East_Kilbride_Thistle_F.C.) at the age of 39.[16][17]

### International

McKinnon was capped three times by [the Scottish national side](/source/Scotland_national_football_team) between 1993 and 1995 while playing with Motherwell,[18] as well as appearing for the [B side](/source/Scotland_B_national_football_team)[19] in the same period.

## Personal life

His nephew [Ross McKinnon](/source/Ross_McKinnon_(footballer)) is also a footballer and plays as a defender.[20]

## Honours

**Individual**

- [PFA Team of the Year](/source/PFA_Team_of_the_Year): [1989–90 Fourth Division](/source/1989%E2%80%9390_Football_League#Fourth_Division)[21]
- [SPFA Team of the Year](/source/PFA_Scotland_Team_of_the_Year): 1994[22]

## References

1. Dunk, Peter (ed.) (1987). *Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88*. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.

1. ["EK Youth Club celebrates 40th anniversary"](http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/ek-youth-club-celebrates-40th-2435351). [Daily Record](/source/Daily_Record_(Scotland)). 3 June 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2017.

1. [Player Profiles Past & Present](https://ekyc.club/about/player-profiles-past-present/), East Kilbride Youth Club

1. ["Rob McKinnon"](http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/robmckinnon.html). Post War English & Scottish Football League A-Z Players Transfer Database. Retrieved 31 July 2017.

1. ["Rab McKinnon profile"](http://toon1892.com/detail_player.php?id=523). Toon1892.com - Newcastle United archive. Retrieved 31 July 2017.

1. ["Rob McKinnon profile"](http://www.inthemadcrowd.co.uk/ui/Person.aspx?oid=502). In The Mad Crowd - Hartlepool United archive. Retrieved 31 July 2017.

1. ["Football League tables season 1990-91"](https://www.rsssf.org/engpaul/FLA/1990-91.html). *[RSSSF](/source/RSSSF)*. Retrieved 31 July 2017.

1. ["Football / World Cup: McKinnon's road to Rome"](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-world-cup-mckinnons-road-to-rome-1508833.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. 4 October 1993. Retrieved 19 June 2017.

1. ["The Joy of Six: free transfers"](https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/jun/21/joy-of-six-free-transfers). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2017.

1. ["Rob McKinnon"](http://twentefiles.basis-web.nl/robmckinnon.htm#98991) (in Dutch). FC Twente-Files Archive. Retrieved 31 July 2017.

1. ["Netherlands tables 1996-97"](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/ned97.html). *[RSSSF](/source/RSSSF)*. Retrieved 31 July 2017.

1. ["Rab McKinnon"](http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/players/mckinnonrab.html). London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 31 July 2017.

1. ["Double-Sided: Carlisle United"](https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/2016/april/double-sided-carlisle-united/). [Hartlepool United Football Club](/source/Hartlepool_United_Football_Club). 5 April 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2017.

1. ["Mowgli improving with age"](http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/sport/mowgli-improving-with-age-1-299010). *[Falkirk Herald](/source/Falkirk_Herald)*. 3 March 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2017.

1. ["'Dream team' take top spots at EK Thistle"](http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/dream-team-take-top-spots-2453350). [Daily Record](/source/Daily_Record_(Scotland)). 18 June 2008. Retrieved 19 June 2017.

1. ["East Kilbride Thistle 1-0 Vale of Leven"](http://valeoflevenfc.co.uk/item.php?pg=matchesplayed&pd=1026&sort=sscore&order=asc&fply=69&fplyShowAll=true&fsea=all&fdfaShowAll=true&frt=rescomp&it=155). [Vale of Leven F.C.](/source/Vale_of_Leven_F.C.). 18 February 2006. Retrieved 19 June 2017.

1. ["Scotland profile"](http://www.fitbastats.com/scotland/player.php?playerid=978). Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 18 June 2017.

1. ["Scotland 'B' profile"](http://www.fitbastats.com/scotlandb/player.php?playerid=91). Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 18 June 2017.

1. ["Jack delighted to capture McKinnon"](http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/jack-delighted-to-capture-mckinnon/). [Scottish Professional Football League](/source/Scottish_Professional_Football_League). 7 February 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2017.

1. Lynch. *The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes*. p. 148.

1. ["WELL BUFFED"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003741/19950113/061/0061). *The Scotsman*. 13 January 1995. Retrieved 5 May 2023. – via British Newspaper Archive.

## External links

- [Newcastle profile](http://toon1892.com/detail_player.php?id=523) at *Toon1892*
- [Hartlepool profile](http://www.inthemadcrowd.co.uk/ui/Person.aspx?oid=502) at *In The Mad Crowd*
- [Twente profile](http://twentefiles.basis-web.nl/robmckinnon.htm) at *FC Twente-Files*
- [Hearts profile](http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/players/mckinnonrab.html) at *London Hearts*

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rob McKinnon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_McKinnon) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_McKinnon?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.