Luke McCowan

He's very clean in most things he does. Just a good footballer

 

From League 1 and the Championship to the UEFA Champions League, Luke McCowan’s career trajectory has not stopped rising as of late.

Indeed, the past couple of years have been meteoric. The 27-year-old has gone from strength to strength, establishing himself as a Scottish Premiership player and captain for Dundee, before making the £1 million move to Celtic last year.


At Celtic he's now made 29 appearances in all competitions, performing a squad role as a popular and eye-catching talent.

To understand McCowan's rise to Scottish stardom, Ryan McGinlay spoke to those who helped him on his journey to this point, as the midfielder pushes for the first Scotland call-up of his career next month.



Ayr United
Looking out for Luke
Starting his career at East End United FC, the versatile player always had aspirations of carving out a football career for himself. Winning the West of Scotland title with the Greenock side as a teenager, he would catch the attention of Ayr United, specifically their Head of Academy, David White.

Though White has been involved with the respective careers of many young players in Ayrshire, he did not struggle to recall when his club signed McCowan. White said: “I can remember it clearly – I have actually got on record the email we sent to East End, requesting that we sign Luke!

“Alongside working with academy scouts at the time, I was part of recruiting Luke to Ayr United at the very beginning. The first impression I got of the player was his drive, and he has never lost that throughout his career.


I can remember his first trial game for us against Queen’s Park, where he actually played as a left-back, though I saw him more as a midfielder due to his ability to get forward. I thought that even early on, his technical ability was excellent, but it was his drive and enthusiasm that really caught our eye from the get-go.

“Once he settled in and got regular training sessions, then his progress was frightening. He was outstanding


McCowan’s swimming side-hustle
Despite these early rave reviews, playing in Ayr’s academy was not yet an occupation that McCowan could completely put all of his time, energy and concentration into, as he had to financially support himself while he made his way to the first team.

A quick search online will tell you that the young player at this time worked part-time as a lifeguard at his local leisure centre in Greenock, before driving to Ayrshire for training after completing gym sessions.

White was happy to corroborate this display of determination and drive from McCowan. He said: “I can confirm that these stories are true about Luke. It is brilliant that you asked me because it brings back good memories.

“During his early days at Ayr, Luke was on a youth/part-time contract, so he became a lifeguard to find a solution to support him being a footballer – an example I still use to this day to some of our young players coming through.

“Luke was dedicated to getting up at 5 am and doing a lifeguarding shift, yet he would still turn up at training that evening. His drive was phenomenal, as he would still be the best player at training despite working earlier on that day. He committed himself to being a lifeguard, too, which gave him some good life skills as well as an income.

“Because of the youth structure at Ayr, sometimes, we would have night-time training sessions, and Luke would be the last one off the pitch at 10.30 pm, despite having to be up at 5 am in Greenock for his lifeguard post the next morning.

“I think that just sums up Luke, to be honest. It never hindered his football, and his drive remained to be the best he could be at football



Luke McCowan’s biggest critic is Luke McCowan
Anyone's journey to the top of their field requires self-awareness and McCowan had that in abundance even in his early career, to the point that coaches would step in to reinforce that he should not be too critical of his skills.

White continued: “To be honest, his drive at times would make him be really self-critical of himself, and I had to do a lot of work with him in terms of making sure he was not too hard on himself after games and training sessions. For example, even if he would misplace one pass or his cross would not go where he wanted it to, he would self-criticise himself quite harshly.

“I constantly spoke with him about it, and I think we all helped him with that. He was different class with us, both on and off the pitch, and I just love him as a young man.”

“You cannot help but feel inspired by Luke, even as a coach. I genuinely think that he made me a better coach. It is humbling to see a young player who has got the desire to put the work in.

“It is brilliant and reassuring that people are saying that he is still very much the same person that he was when he was with us – that is important.”



His Ayr United legacy
McCowan made 78 appearances in all competitions for Ayr United, scoring 19 times for the Somerset Park side. After making his debut in League 1 back in the 2017/18 season, he found himself making more appearances in the second tier, before completely breaking through in the 2019/20 campaign, where he made 31 appearances in total for the side, firstly under Ian McCall, then his successor, Mark Kerr.

Despite spending four seasons for the Championship side – now managed by former Celtic captain Scott Brown – White knew that McCowan was destined for bigger and better things in his own career – thanks to his versatility. He said: “I genuinely think one of the reasons why Luke is where he is right now is because of his adaptability to situations.

“This links into his game management – another one of his strengths as a footballer at Ayr. He knew during a game where he had to be and where he needed to go, such as dropping back to support his full-back or playing deeper in midfield when required.

“I think in every young player’s career, you have aspirations of where they can get to, and you try and inspire them to get there. Luke seamlessly transitioned into Ayr’s first team, then moved to Dundee and won the Championship, before stabilising himself as a Premiership player and captain in the top-flight - then he goes to Celtic and plays in the Champions League!

“I am the wee guy who is predicting that he could make that step up once again – which would be the Scotland national team. That might be the next thing for Luke, because he keeps on hitting his targets and it is phenomenal. I cannot put into words how proud we are Luke, and how happy we are for his family, too.

"It must be one of the best modern Scottish footballing stories – it has been one * of a journey for Luke.”



Dundee
The first Championship to Premiership shift
Following four seasons at Ayr United, McCowan decided to take his talents to the City of Discovery and sign for Dundee in 2021, then managed by former Hibs captain James McPake, who most recently was in charge of Dunfermline.

Dundee, who had gained promotion to the Premiership from the Championship in the previous season, were no strangers to the then-23-year-old’s talents, having come up against the player in the second tier at Somerset Park.

Despite making the jump to the top flight, McPake was very keen for McCowan to make the same move that Dundee were embarking on. He said: “Luke always impressed me. Against my Dundee team in the Championship, he caused us bother every time he played, so he was one we kept an eye on.

“The jump was never an issue concerning us taking him when we got promoted, though it did take a little longer for Luke to get the game time that he was desperate for. What I will say is that he worked hard every single day – everyone can now see the rewards he has earned because of that hard work.

“You could see from very early on that he had bags of potential, but when you start coaching him daily and working with him then you see how committed he really is. He was top-class for me, and he deserves everything he is getting at the minute now.”

The following season was a tough one for McCowan, McPake and Dundee as a whole. The manager lost his job midway through the campaign, followed by the club’s relegation back to the Championship shortly after.

Clearly a season that irked McCowan personally due to game time and the club’s predicament, McPake underlined how he used his annoyance at the situation to better himself, both on and off the park. He said: “I saw it straight away in pre-season, the high standards that he wanted to set himself.

“He was hard on himself, but not in a bad or huffy sort of way. His behaviour was always consistent, as he always wanted to be the best player, both in training and in actual games. I have come across players who can be over-critical of themselves when they make a mistake or a bad pass, which can lead to them going into their shells and drifting out of games. Luke was not like that.

“Luke was at the opposite end of that, where he uses his anger as his motivation and does not allow his head to go down when he made mistakes in games. He used the anger in a positive way, with the energy going into being a better player.

“That is a great quality to have, in my opinion.”

McCowan's on-field attributes are complemented by his manner behind the scenes, something that also resonated strongly with his former coaches.

McPake continued: “He was great for me, as he was one of the players who you had no issues with. He never came to me with problems, as the only thing he wanted to do was to get his head down and work. That being said, he would knock on the door if he was feeling disappointed about missing out on games that he felt he should have been playing in!

"The difference was that he did it in a respectful way. Off the pitch, he was quiet, but he was a very good teammate with his fellow professionals. We spoke to players before we signed him at Dundee, and they gave us the answers and positive reference we were looking for concerning Luke."


To Celtic and beyond
Though McPake’s time working with McCowan was short, he enjoyed working with the talented player, who played in a multitude of positions during his three years in Dundee.

McCowan ultimately made 125 appearances for the club, with his standout season coming on his return to the top flight in 2023/24, scoring 10 league goals and helping the promoted Dees to a top-six finish.

This form caught the eye of Celtic and Brendan Rodgers, who lodged the aforementioned Deadline Day bid for his services last August.

With a move to Celtic secured, a solid first impression made for his new supporters earned – as well as Champions League exposure to boot – his former manager looks back on his time with the late-blooming midfielder with distinction.

Talking about his potential international prospects in the coming months, McPake said: “Luke will be desperate to be in the reckoning for the Scotland squad, and I would be surprised if he does not have a cap very soon.

“It is a completely different chance and probability when you go to Celtic or Rangers concerning call-ups to the national team. At this point, I reckon he will be making it hard for Steve Clark to ignore him going forward – I would be amazed if that does not happen.

“I can see why he fits in Brendan Rodgers’ plans, as he will be a sponge in that dressing room every single day. He will be learning from the manager, John Kennedy, and Gavin Strachan about what it takes to be a Celtic player.

"I was speaking to someone about him recently, and I was making the point that he looks like he has been at Celtic for years. That is not easy, particularly when you have come from Ayr United and Dundee.

“It has been a seamless transition for Luke – I am delighted that he has had such a positive impact so far for Celtic.”



McCowan's close links to Celtic greats
Now at his boyhood club, McCowan does not have to look far for pointers concerning his development at Celtic - including within his own circle. The midfielder's agent is none other than former right-back Jackie McNamara, who made 358 appearances in 10 years for Celtic.

A key player in the club's capture of the Dundee midfielder, McNamara is delighted with how McCowan has got on since his arrival last August. He said: "Luke has done really well. I think he's settled in well and he's looked very comfortable, and he has come up with a few important goals as well.

"His performances are good and you can see him getting better and stronger each game. I said to him before that when you go to a club like Celtic, I experienced it when you play with better players, it becomes easier and Luke will find that.

"He is on the same wavelength and I think he's been great so far."

McNamara also revealed that he gave his client a first-hand experience of his future place of work - while he was still plying his trade at Dens Park!

Admitting that he seen McCowan's talents taking him higher than Dundee, McNamara said: "When he was at his previous club, we actually took him to a Champions League game at Celtic Park.

"I said to him then that he could play at that level, so it is nice to see him now appearing on that stage and his development coming through at that stage.

"He is not just at Celtic because he is a fan, but because his numbers were great at Dundee and his numbers were influential for his team - you can see just how much they have missed him since he left.

"Ever since he stepped into the Celtic jersey, he has been excellent. Everyone has been commenting on how well he has adapted to becoming a Celtic player - you can see he loves it!"



The potential to achieve more
From Greenock leisure centres to mixing it with the big boys at the top of European football, McCowan's rise has been one to behold - a Scottish football fairytale story.

Though he faces immense competition in his position in the middle of Celtic's engine room, he has become a trusted member of Rodgers' squad, coming up with some important goals and performances to boot.

With two and a half years left on his current deal, the 27-year-old will be looking to make a big impact in the closing months of his first season with his boyhood club - as a potential treble lie in wait for him and his teammates at the end of the domestic campaign.

As confidence grows, so does his potential in green and white.

Who knows, he may even get that call to represent his country in the forthcoming internationals. That will only have more people talking about the '* of a journey' he's marching on.

 

Really like this lad. Brilliant

 

The assist last night now means he has 20 goals & assists this season.

He got 3 goals and 6 assists in 8 games for Dundee before we signed him and now has 6 goals and 5 assists for us.

He's only played 1819 minutes, meaning he has a goal or assist every 91 minutes this season.