Ryan McGuffie

Ryan McGuffie
Personal information

Date of birth	(1980-07-22) 22 July 1980
Place of birth	Dumfries, Scotland
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position	Utility defence or midfield
Club information
Current team	St Albans Saints
Youth career
	St Johnstone
–1998	Annan Athletic
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1998–1999	Queen's Park	12	(1)
1999–2001	Annan Athletic
2001–2002	Newcastle United	0	(0)
2002–2008	Gretna	155	(28)
2008–2010	Greenock Morton	81	(8)
2010–2014	Queen of the South	102	(13)
2014–	St Albans Saints	60	(12)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:56, 27 February 2014 (UTC). † Appearances (goals)

Ryan McGuffie (born 22 July 1980 in Dumfries, Scotland) is a Scottish professional association footballer currently playing for Australian club St Albans Saints. McGuffie is a utility player who can line up in either defence or midfield.

Career

Early career

Ryan McGuffie played two trial matches for home town club Queen of the South during the pre season of 2002–03. McGuffie started at home versus Barnsley and appeared as a substitute away to Southport. His brother Russell played one league match for Queens in 1999. Russell signed for Queens through the club's youth set-up.

Gretna

McGuffie played for Gretna and scored Gretna's goal in the 2006 Scottish Cup Final against Heart of Midlothian. He scored from a rebound after having his penalty kick saved by Craig Gordon. This qualified Gretna for European competition for the first time ever. However they were hammered 5–1 at home by Derry City in the UEFA Cup, McGuffie scoring Gretna's goal.^[1]

He guested for Shamrock Rovers in a friendly against Hibernian in July 2005.^[2]

Greenock Morton

In the January transfer window of the 2007–08 season McGuffie made the move from Gretna to Scottish Football League Second Division champions Greenock Morton.^[3] McGuffie would soon be joined by his manager Davie Irons, assistant manager Derek Collins and a host of his former team mates as Gretna played out their final days in the Scottish Premier League.

He started the first six weeks of the 2008–09 season extremely well as he scored five goals in the Greenock club's assault in the cup competitions.

Queen of the South

McGuffie was announced as having signed a one-year contract with hometown club Queen of the South on the club website on 18 May 2010.^[4] After playing in Queens pre season games he scored on his competitive debut, a Challenge Cup first round 2–1 win against Albion Rovers on 24 July 2010, which was Queens first competitive match that season.^[5] His first league goal came on 22 August 2010, in the 3–1 win at Cowdenbeath.^[6] He played in the 2010 Scottish Challenge Cup Final 2–0 defeat to Ross County.^[7]

McGuffie re-signed for Queens on 19 July 2011 for season 2011–12.^[8] At the turn of the year he took on the role of penalty taker scoring against Hamilton on 2 January 2012 and again on 21 January against Livingston.^[9] He scored with another penalty on 14 February 2012 in the Scottish Cup last 16 replay at home against Aberdeen.^[10]

On 15 February 2014, it was announced that McGuffie had been released from his contract at his own request ^[11] in order to move to Australia and sign for St Albans Saints.^[12]