| Kirsty Maclean | |
| Fullname: | Kirsty Maclean |
| Birth Date: | 2005 4, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Barrhead, Scotland |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Rangers |
| Clubnumber: | 23 |
| Youthclubs1: | Rangers |
| Years1: | 2021– |
| Clubs1: | Rangers |
| Caps1: | 27+ |
| Goals1: | 2+ |
| Nationalyears1: | 2019 |
| Nationalteam1: | Scotland U15 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2018–2020 |
| Nationalteam2: | Scotland U16 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2022 |
| Nationalteam3: | Scotland U17 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 1 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2022– |
| Nationalteam4: | Scotland U19 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 9 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 0 |
| Nationalyears5: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam5: | Scotland |
| Nationalcaps5: | 6 |
| Nationalgoals5: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 14 July 2023 |
| Ntupdate: | 29 February 2024 |
Kirsty Maclean (born 12 April 2005) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Rangers of the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) and the Scotland national team.[1]
A pupil at Barrhead High School, where she achieved five Highers in 2022,[2] Maclean progressed through the girls' academy at Rangers (although she is a supporter of St Mirren[3] where the women's section of the club play at a low level having only been established in 2018). She made her senior debut during the 2021–22 Scottish Women's Premier League season aged 16, making a handful of appearances as Rangers won their first championship.[4] Along with teammates Jodi McLeary and Emma Watson, she signed a professional contract in August 2022.[5] [6]
After establishing herself as a regular in the squad during the 2022–23 season, in which she also made four appearances (three starts) in the UEFA Women's Champions League, was introduced as a late substitute in Rangers' win over Hibernian in the SWPL Cup final and was nominated for the PFA Scotland Women's Young Player of the Year, Maclean signed an extended contract in May 2023.[7] The campaign ended in disappointment on a collective level, however, as Rangers lost their title with a home defeat to Glasgow City on the final matchday,[8] then were defeated by their other local rivals Celtic in the 2023 Scottish Cup Final (the first Old Firm women's final and the first played at Hampden Park) a week later.[9]
Rangers won the 2023–24 Scottish Women's Premier League Cup[10] and the 2023–24 Scottish Women's Cup[11] (Maclean missed the first final due to injury and started in the second) although they missed out on the SWPL championship again, this time on goal difference. Maclean was nominated for both the PFA Scotland Women's Players' Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year[12] but lost out on both awards to clubmates Rachel Rowe and Mia McAulay respectively;[13] however, she was named in the Team of the Year.[14]
As a midfielder with a low centre of gravity, good ball control and passing skills, her style of play has been compared to that of Andres Iniesta[15] and Erin Cuthbert.[3]
Maclean has represented Scotland at under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-19 levels,[16] as well as a schoolgirl international for three consecutive years.[3]
She was called up to the Scotland senior team for the first time for a friendly double-header against Northern Ireland and Finland in July 2023;[17] she made her senior international debut as a substitute in a 3–0 win over Northern Ireland at Dens Park in Dundee.[18]
Statistics accurate as of match played 1 December 2023[16]
| Scotland | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals | |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 0 | |
Rangers