Neil McCann

Did You Know?

• In April 2024, McCann lost a dispute with HM Revenue & Customs regarding IR35 rules, resulting in a tax liability of approximately £210,000.
• The dispute arose because McCann used a limited company to receive payments from Sky Sports for punditry work, while HMRC contended he should have been treated as an employee.
• McCann has worked as a pundit for Sky Sports, BBC, RangersTV and ITV.

Club career

Neil McCann kicked off his playing days at Dundee before making a move to Heart of Midlothian in 1996. With Hearts, he played a key role in ending a 36-year wait for a major trophy, lifting the Scottish Cup in 1998. That same year, he switched to Rangers for a fee of £1.9 million, making him the club's first high-profile Scottish Catholic signing since Mo Johnston. A standout moment came on 2 May 1999, when he netted twice in a 3-0 win over Celtic, securing the 1998-99 Scottish Premier League title for Rangers. Financial troubles forced Rangers to sell him in 2003, and McCann later revealed in February 2019 that he faced sectarian abuse from Celtic fans because of his choice to join Rangers.

He moved to Southampton on 5 August 2003 for £1.5 million, but a string of injuries kept him from locking down a regular spot. His only goal for the club came in a League Cup match against Northampton Town. By mutual agreement, his Southampton contract ended in January 2006. Just days later, on 17 January 2006, he returned to Hearts. Unfortunately, he injured his medial knee ligament in his first game back, ruling him out for the rest of the 2005-06 season, including the 2006 Scottish Cup Final. He managed 28 appearances in the 2006-07 campaign, but then suffered a double leg break during a match at Celtic Park on 25 August 2007.

On 14 May 2008, McCann signed with Falkirk. He scored on his debut against his old club Hearts, and added goals in League Cup ties against Queen of the South and Inverness. His final outing for Falkirk came in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final. After manager John Hughes, who had brought him in, was replaced by Eddie May, McCann was let go on 22 August 2009. He came out of retirement on 12 February 2011 to help Dundee avoid relegation from the First Division, scoring a last-minute goal in his first match back against Raith Rovers. In 2016, he was inducted into the Dundee FC Hall of Fame.

International career

McCann earned his first Scotland cap on September 5, 1998, entering as a late replacement for Ally McCoist in a scoreless draw with Lithuania. His initial start followed on March 31, 1999, a 2–1 home loss to the Czech Republic. Across 26 international appearances, he netted three goals, two of which came during UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying against the Faroe Islands and Germany. His final outing for Scotland was a November 2005 friendly that ended 1–1 with the United States.

Coaching career

Neil McCann began his coaching career at Dunfermline Athletic in July 2012, working without pay at first. The club went into administration in March 2013 and was relegated for a second year in a row. After leaving administration in December 2013, both manager Jim Jefferies and McCann were given new contracts. When Jefferies retired in December 2014, McCann and John Potter took over the team.

McCann left Dunfermline on 30 April 2015. His first job as a manager came at Dundee in the Scottish Premiership, where he was put in charge temporarily on 18 April 2017. He managed five games and kept the club in the top flight for the 2016-17 season. Dundee said on 29 May that McCann would go, but on 1 June he was given the job permanently after the club failed to hire Jack Ross from St Mirren.

He was fired on 16 October 2018, with Dundee at the bottom of the league after earning only three points from eight matches. In February 2021, McCann became interim manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle after John Robertson took compassionate leave. He left after the 2020-21 season, even though the club tried to keep him on permanently. On 24 February 2025, he joined Rangers as a coach, helping interim boss Barry Ferguson for the rest of the 2024-25 season. McCann was named Kilmarnock manager on 6 January 2026.