Paul McGowan, a renowned Scottish football icon, has found a new home at the age of 36. Having debuted for Celtic as a teenager in 2007, McGowan has become a household name playing for various clubs, including Morton, St Mirren, and Dundee.Paul McGowan, a renowned Scottish football icon, has found a new home at the age of 36. Having debuted for Celtic as a teenager in 2007, McGowan has become a household name playing for various clubs, including Morton, St Mirren, and Dundee. McGowan’s career has been marked by both controversy and triumph. On the field, he has been known for his tenacity and leadership, while off the field, he has faced legal challenges related to altercations with police officers and a bouncer. Despite these setbacks, McGowan has remained resilient, earning the support of clubs like Dundee, where he became vice-captain. After a stint with Cove Rangers in League One, McGowan has now signed with Annan Athletic. Annan’s statement reads: “The club is delighted to announce the signing of central midfielder Paul McGowan. The experienced 36-year-old came through the ranks at Celtic… Paul then signed permanently for St Mirren in 2011 before joining Dundee in 2014, where he made 245 appearances.”
ONE of Scottish football’s cult heroes has found a new club at the age of 36.
This will be the eighth team he has played for in his career and the latest move comes 17 years after he made his debut for Celtic as a teenager in September 2007.
Paul McGowan during his time at DundeeSource: The Sun McGowan after being soaked by his then teammate Jason Cummings in DundeePhoto: Willie Vass
The man in question is none other than Paul McGowan, who came through the youth ranks at Celts before becoming a household name at Morton, St Mirren and Dundee.
Last season he played for Cove Rangers in League One, where he made 32 appearances and scored twice.
Throughout his career, McGowan has been the center of much controversy, both on and off the field.
He gained a reputation as the heartbeat of the locker room, a demanding teammate who also enjoyed jokes and banter.
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But the midfielder has also been guilty of running afoul of the law off the football pitch, twice for attacking police officers and once for spitting on a bouncer.
His club at the time, Dundee, supported him in his quest to become a better man, eventually becoming vice-captain at Dens Park.
He eventually played more than 300 games for Dee and then signed for Cove after a stint on loan at Dunfermline in 2022/23.
McGowan has now signed for Annan Athletic, who narrowly avoided the relegation play-offs last season.
A statement from Annan read: “The club is delighted to announce the signing of central midfielder Paul McGowan.
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“The experienced 36-year-old came through the ranks at Celtic, eventually rising to the first team, making six competitive appearances and spending time on loan at Greenock Morton, Hamilton Academical and St Mirren during his time at Celtic Park. Paul then signed permanently for St Mirren in 2011 before joining Dundee in 2014, where he made 245 appearances. Paul joined Dunfermline Athletic on loan from Dundee in 2023, helping the Pars win League One.
“Paul played for Galabank last season when he visited as a Cove Rangers player.”
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