Thomas Allan Muirhead (24 January 1897 – 27 May 1979) was a Scottish footballer who played for Hibernian, Rangers and Scotland.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Allan Muirhead | ||
| Date of birth | 24 January 1897 | ||
| Place of birth | Cowdenbeath, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 27 May 1979 (aged 82) | ||
| Place of death | Helensburgh, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| – | Hearts of Beath | ||
| 1915–1917 | Hibernian | 29 | (3) |
| 1917–1924 | Rangers | 154 | (23) |
| 1924 | Boston Soccer Club | 14 | (0) |
| 1924–1930 | Rangers | 137 | (15) |
| Total | 334 | (41) | |
| International career | |||
| 1921–1924 | Scottish League XI | 5 | (0) |
| 1922–1929 | Scotland | 8 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1924 | Boston Soccer Club | ||
| 1931–1936 | St Johnstone | ||
| 1936–1937 | Preston North End | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
Hibernian and Rangers
Muirhead, a forward who was occasionally deployed as a half-back,[2] was signed by Rangers for £20 from Hibernian in May 1917.[3][4] He made his debut against his former club in a 3–0 win at Ibrox on 15 September 1917, although he did not become a regular until the following season.[5]
American Soccer League
Muirhead's Rangers career was interrupted by a brief stint in the US in 1925. Cash-rich American Soccer League club Boston Soccer Club lured him across the Atlantic to assume the role of player-manager.[2] However, despite the presence of several other Scots, including internationalists such as Alex McNab and Barney Battles, he could not settle in Boston and returned to Glasgow after only 14 games.[6]
Return to Scotland
Muirhead returned to Rangers where he played until 1930. He scored 46 goals in 349 overall appearances for Rangers and won eight Scottish Football League championship medals[4] (he never won the Scottish Cup, playing in the lost finals of 1921 and 1929, but not in the long-awaited win of 1930). He was also captain of the club for a spell.[5]
International
Muirhead was capped at international level, making eight appearances for Scotland.[7] He captained Scotland in a 1–0 defeat against Ireland on 25 February 1928.[8]
Managerial career
After his playing career, Muirhead had further spells in management with St Johnstone (1931–36) and Preston North End (1936–37) and he also worked as a sports journalist.[4]