During the remainder of the 1981-82 season – when the Bhoys would finish as League champions thanks to a final day victory – McStay played in various games, including scoring his first goal. This came in a crucial 3-1 win over Aberdeen, the team who ended the season just two points behind Celtic.
By the following campaign, it was clear that Paul was now an established first team player. He missed only two games as the Bhoys claimed the League Cup, although they lost their League title to Dundee United. Throughout the season, McStay had impressed with his work rate and passing, and could also add his name to the scoresheet.
Whenever there was Celtic success in the 1980s, it was a certainty that Paul McStay had an important role in these achievements. Whether under the management of Billy McNeill (twice) or David Hay, Paul was a near ever-present, missing only occasional matches.
Former Celtic captain Paul McStay walks out the tunnel before raising the Scottish Premiership flag. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Football, Celtic Park, Glasgow, 3 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)
Fans from that era will recall that when the team line-ups were read before matches at Celtic Park, the phrase “Number 8, Paul McStay” could simply have been pre-recorded and played each week.
Fans will have their own particular memories of him. Perhaps the moment that best encapsulates his on-field vision came in January 1988. In an Old Firm game at Celtic Park, he picked out a remarkable pass that surely no-one else in the ground had even seen, which led to a Frank McAvennie goal and a 3-1 win for the Hoops.
As a hugely popular player, he was given different nicknames. One of these was, of course, Maestro, celebrating his skills. Less obviously, he was also known as ‘The Hat’. There are various theories about why this was, including that he was capped at each level for Scotland, or that he looked like gangster Jack ‘The Hat’ McVittie, or simply that his hair looked like one!
1988: Paul McStay and Tommy Burns of Celtic during the Scottish Cup Final match at Hampden – Celtic won the match 2-1 Photo Allsport UK /Allsport
Of all his wonderful seasons in the 1980s, the Celts’ 1987-88 centenary is arguably his finest. As well as helping the club secure a fairytale League and Scottish Cup double, he was voted Scottish Player of the Year by his fellow professionals and football writers too.
It was not simply for Celtic that McStay starred and created important memories, he also did this for Scotland. As well as his 1980 schoolboys’ appearance, he became a national star, representing Scotland 76 times from 1983-1997, as well as captaining the side.
Interesting, his most notable Scotland moment came when he was still a youth player. In 1982, he was captain as the Scotland youth team won the UEFA European Under-18 Championship. This remains the only major tournament ever won by a Scotland side.
Paul Mcstay Scotland & Glasgow Celtic FC August 1993
In early-1990, Celtic captain Roy Aitken departed Glasgow. This meant a replacement was needed and so the club turned to their star midfielder, Paul McStay. It was a role that his skills certainly warranted, although he was a very different personality from Aitken.
Unfortunately, Paul’s time as Celtic’s on-field leader came as the club fell into a downward spiral. The Celts had stopped a Rangers treble in 1989 by winning the Scottish Cup, but that was the last silverware they would celebrate for six years. In fact, during this time, they were not simply second best, they finished as low as fifth in the title race.
