List of Scotland national football team captains explained

This article lists all the captains of the men’s Scotland national football team. As of 7 June 2024, Scotland have played 830 officially recognised international matches and have had 156 different team captains. Andrew Robertson has captained Scotland most often, in 49 games. Four other players (George Young, Billy Bremner, Darren Fletcher and Gary McAllister) have captained the team at least 30 times.^[1]

The first captain of the Scotland team was Robert Gardner, who led the team in the first ever international match, against England on 30 November 1872. He went on to captain Scotland on just one further occasion, the second international match, on 8 March 1873, against the same opposition.

List of captains

Key

	Still active for the national team
Caps as captain	Appearances made while captain
Total caps	Total number of appearances made

Player	Scotland career	Caps as captain	Total caps	First captaincy	Last captaincy
	1872–1878	2	5
	1872–1874	1	3
	1872–1876	2	6
	1874–1886	8	13
	1876–1880	2	5
	1877–1879	1	5
	1878–1881	1	5
	1881–1882	2	3
	1880–1882	1	2
	1882–1883	2	3
	1883–1893	3	14
	1883–1886	2	5
	1879–1885	1	8
	1886	1	1
	1887–1888	1	2	^[2]
	1882–1887	2	9
	1887–1893	2	6
	1888	1	1
	1888	1	1
	1889–1892	3	4
	1889	1	2
	1880–1891	2	7
	1888–1893	1	5
	1888–1890	1	3
	1891–1892	1	2
	1885–1893	1	9
	1891–1895	2	5
	1888–1896	4	8
	1892–1894	1	2
	1892–1898	1	8
	1892–1903	4	14
	1889–1897	1	3
	1896	1	1
	1897	1	1
	1892–1897	1	9
	1898	1	1
	1885–1898	1	7
	1896–1898	1	3
	1897–1902	2	12
	1899	1	3
	1899–1911	2	11
	1899–1900	1	2
	1898–1905	5	16
	1902	1	2
	1893–1903	1	12
	1901–1911	2	14
	1900–1907	4	8
	1904–1909	1	5
	1904–1907	1	6
	1895–1905	1	14
	1904–1914	13	21
	1909	2	2
	1905–1914	3	11
	1905–1911	1	8
	1906–1920	5	15
	1911–1913	1	4
	1913–1914	1	2
	1912–1920	1	10
	1920–1923	3	5
	1920–1922	1	8
	1920–1923	1	12
^[3]	1921–1924	2	7
	1920–1927	1	12
	1920–1924	3	8
	1923–1928	1	10
	1920–1929	6	16
	1923–1925	3	6
	1925	1	1
	1921–1928	5	13
	1922–1929	1	8
	1927–1930	4	8
	1922–1933	6	15
	1929–1932	4	9
	1926–1933	3	4
	1920–1932	1	31
	1928–1932	1	8
	1931	1	2
	1929–1932	1	3
	1933–1934	1	6
	1933–1938	4	23
	1931–1937	2	18
	1934–1937	13	14
	1930–1938	2	19
	1938–1939	1	3
	1939	1	1
	1946–1947	6	6
	1946–1947	1	2
	1946–1948	1	9
	1947–1952	1	24
	1946–1957	48	54
	1948–1954	1	25
	1951–1959	8	25
	1954–1955	5	8
	1946–1957	2	19
	1955–1958	4	24
	1948–1960	12	48
	1957–1965	7	22
	1957–1963	15	40
	1958–1974	5	55
	1961–1972	8	29
	1960–1967	4	34
	1964–1975	15	44
^[4] ^[5] ^[6]	1961–1967	1	12
	1967–1968	4	7
	1965–1975	39	54
	1963–1971	1	9
	1968–1972	7	16
	1966–1974	3	16
	1970–1974	2	27
	1970–1979	9	38
	1974–1981	1	30
	1971–1978	2	34
	1971–1978	1	22
	1971–1981	23	43
	1971–1986	6	102
	1975–1978	10	24
	1976–1978	2	17
	1973–1982	10	62
	1972–1982	3	50
	1974–1986	27	54
	1979–1983	1	8
	1975–1989	11	65
	1979–1991	27	57
	1980–1993	8	77
	1982–1998	4	91
	1983–1997	7	76
	1984–1992	2	55
	1983–1993	8	61
	1980–1992	5	50
	1990–1994	1	16
	1990–1999	32	57
	1986–1998	1	61
	1993–2001	22	51
	1990–2001	6	72
	1995–2003	17	40
	1988–2001	1	53
	1995–2003	1	46
	1997–2008	12	66
	1998–2009	28	45
	2004–2017	34	80
	2000–2006	1	32
	1996–2005	1	33
	1997–2010	4	68
	2006–2010	8	26
	2001–2013	5	67
	2002–2013	7	55
	2005–2017	25	55
	2008–2017	1	46
	2016–	1	45
	2012–2019	4	44
	2018–	1	35
	2014–	49	71
	2017–	1	60
	2007–2019	2	51
	2016–	9	66
	2018–	1	49

Statistics include official FIFA recognised matches, five matches from a 1967 overseas tour that were reclassified as full internationals in 2021,^[6] and a match against a Hong Kong League XI played on 23 May 2002 that the Scottish Football Association includes in its statistical totals.^[7]

Unofficial games

The above list considers captains selected for games officially recognised by FIFA and the Scottish Football Association. In addition to these, there have been a number of games played by Scotland teams on an unofficial basis, for example the "wartime internationals" during the Second World War. Some of the captains selected for these unofficial games are listed below.

• Jimmy Brownlie^[8]
• Jimmy Gordon^[9]
• Tom Smith^[10]
• Matt Busby^[11]
• Bill Shankly^[12]
• Tommy Walker^[13]
• Jock Shaw^[14]
• George Young^[15]

Notes

1. Web site: Scotland Captains by Total Games as Captain . www.londonhearts.com . London Hearts Supporters' Club . 19 September 2013.
2. Web site: Scotland - International Matches 1881-1890 . John Lambie was previously believed to be the youngest ever player to be capped by Scotland, making his debut aged 17 years and 92 days in this match. He was also credited with being captain of the team. New research by Andy Mitchell in 2020 has revealed that although he was selected to play he was replaced by James Kelly of Renton. The captain is not known. . 4 November 2021 . 25 November 2021 . Alan . Brown . Gabriele . . Tossani.
3. Jack Marshall also represented the United States.
4. Web site: Scotland XI Tour of Asia and Oceania 1967 . . 6 June 2008 . 23 September 2013 . Stephen . Bell . Andre . Zlotkowski.
5. News: Tour games in 1967 that the Aussies count and we don’t . The Scotsman . Johnston Publishing . 14 August 2012 . 23 September 2013.
6. Web site: Former Scotland players to be recognised with international caps including Sir Alex Ferguson . www.scottishfa.co.uk . Scottish Football Association . 9 October 2021 . 12 October 2021.
7. Web site: Gordon Strachan . www.scottishfa.co.uk . Scottish Football Association . 19 September 2013.
8. Web site: Scotland Unofficial Matches 1902-1919 . 8 November 2020 . . 13 November 2020.
9. Web site: 1921 TOUR OF CANADA AND USA BY "THIRD LANARK'S SCOTLAND XI" . . 15 November 2012 . Neil . Morrison . 23 September 2013.
10. Web site: Sat 18 Apr 1942 Scotland 5 England 4. www.londonhearts.com . London Hearts Supporters' Club . 23 September 2013.
11. Web site: Sat 10 Oct 1942 England 0 Scotland 0. www.londonhearts.com . London Hearts Supporters' Club . 23 September 2013.
12. Web site: Sat 17 Apr 1943 Scotland 0 England 4. www.londonhearts.com . London Hearts Supporters' Club . 23 September 2013.
13. Web site: Sat 16 Oct 1943 England 8 Scotland 0 . www.londonhearts.com . London Hearts Supporters' Club . 23 September 2013.
14. Web site: Sat 02 Feb 1946 Northern Ireland 2 Scotland 3 . www.londonhearts.com . London Hearts Supporters' Club . 23 September 2013.
15. Web site: 1949 TOUR OF CANADA AND USA BY THE SCOTTISH FA . . 15 November 2012 . Neil . Morrison . 23 September 2013.

External links

• Scotland captains by date, London Hearts Supporters' Club