| Andy McLaren |
 Andrew McLaren was born on Tuesday, 5th June, 1973, in Glasgow. The 5' 10 (10st 0lbs) forward temporarily transferred to Derek Whyte & Gerry Britton's Thistle on Tuesday, 2nd November, 2004, from his parent club, Dundee United. Aged 31, he made his debut appearance on Saturday, 13th November, 2004, in a 3-0 defeat at home to St Mirren in the SFL First Division. There were no goals for Andy during his spell with Thistle. He played his last game for the club on Wednesday, 29th December, 2004, in a 2-1 win at home to Falkirk in the SFL First Division, having appeared as a Jag on 9 occasions. Andy's club-list included Dundee United, Reading, Livingston, Kilmarnock, Partick Thistle, Greenock Morton, Dundee, Ayr United, Bathgate Thistle, Lesmahagow, Pollok, Petershill and Tynecastle. |
| Andy McLaren's Summary Totals |
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| League | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| Competitive | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| All Games | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
 Andy McLaren, a winger, began his career in 1989 with Dundee United where he remained for 10 years, helping them win the Scottish Cup in 1994. He left Tannadice for Reading in 1999 and during his spell had a brief loan spell at Livingston. On returning to Reading, he tested positive for cannabis and cocaine and admitted to alcoholism. After spending time in rehabilitation, he returned to football in June 2000 when he was signed for Kilmarnock by manager Bobby Williamson. During his time at Rugby Park, he won his only Scotland cap, a substitute appearance in a 1–1 draw against Poland in April 2001. He left Kilmarnock in August 2003 after rejecting a new contract and returned to Dundee United. He played for one season at Dundee United team, before being loaned to Partick Thistle and Greenock Morton, joining the latter club permanently in 2005. After a season at Cappielow, he joined Dundee in July 2006. In his side's defeat at Clyde on 16 December 2006, McLaren was sent off for aiming a blow at a Clyde player, before getting a second red after striking another opponent on the way off the pitch. Once into the dressing rooms he received his third red card for kicking a hole in the door of the referee's room. As a consequence of his actions, Dundee decided to release him from his contract on 20 December 2006. In February 2007, McLaren signed for Ayr United on a part-time deal until the end of 2006–07, scoring on his début a month later. McLaren was released from Somerset Park in May 2008, and in August 2008 spent a few games on trial at Bathgate Thistle, before a short spell at Lesmahagow and a short trial at Pollok, whom he left on the back of yet another red card. McLaren joined Petershill in 2009. On 12 May 2016, McLaren signed for Tynecastle F.C. as a player-coach. His positive drugs test at Reading back in 2000 Andy was immediately banned from football but, after receiving treatment for drug addiction and alcoholism, returned to football with Kilmarnock, and his treatment continued upon returning to first club Dundee United in 2004. Upon signing for Morton permanently in 2005, McLaren admitted to then manager Jim McInally he had suffered from abuse as a child, which had led to his drug and alcohol problems. He later announced he had considered suicide, including crashing into a lorry at 80 mph. Andy's life is detailed in his autobiography, Tormented, where he chronicles his abuse as a child. As highlighted in his autobiography, Andy wanted to help young people avoid the pitfalls that have affected his life and career; he delivered presentations and talks to young people on his life both in and out of football. Andy is included in our feature piece, The Definitive Who's Who Of The Partick Thistle Internationalists → |
| (WIK/WS) |
1 cap, 0 goals
retired
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