Celtic Player of the Day – Celtic’s ‘Wild Rover’ Dan Doyle | OneFootball

Possibly the most charismatic of the early Celts, Dan was much loved by the Celtic fans in the 1890s. He was a flamboyant character and one of the men about whom stories accrued, whether they were true or not. He joined Celtic in 1891 having already had a career with various clubs in Scotland and England, mainly Everton.

Dan Doyle

He was a left back, and was playing in Celtic’s first ever winning of the Scottish Cup in 1892, and then won the Scottish League with them in 1893, 1894 1896 and 1898. His doughty tackling and good looks soon made him a personality figure and he famously captained the Scotland team which drew with England at Celtic Park in 1894, one of his 8 caps for Scotland.

But there was a down side to him as well. He disappeared from the Scotland squad before the 1895 International at Goodison Park, returned just before kick-off, was (incredibly) allowed to play, but Scotland lost and Doyle was blamed. He was out of sight as well – simply not turning up – when Arthurlie beat Celtic in 1897.

Yet he retained his popularity and was simply referred to as “Dan” or sometimes “Ned”, the latter nickname allowing supporters to sing “Erin’s Green Valleys” “…with banners of green, and with our captain Ned where Erin’s green valleys look down on Parkhead”

Dan Doyle, Celtic FC. Photo The Celtic Wiki

David Potter

Dan Doyle, Celtic FC. Photo The Celtic Wiki

“….With him was the invincible Dan Doyle, that legendary hero of a hundred stern fights, whose fame is even yet a magic password where young Celts in Glasgow look up the records of ancient chiefs. More than any other player of the early Everton days he brought the name of the club to the highest pinnacle, as the team that rose to every challenge and would never accept defeat. So great was his prestige as an impassable barrier in defence that people flocked whenever the Everton team played to see “the great” Dan Doyle. No player in England could ever say he had got the better of Dan in a contest of strength or skill on the field. He took the field in every match as one who would do or die. Little wonder that many an attack crumpled at the outset rather than risk a fall from the brawny Celt…” Extract from an article about Dan Doyle in the Liverpool football echo of January 16, 1926. Read full article HERE.

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