The 2020–21 Scottish Premiership season begins this weekend albeit behind closed doors - It will be the eighth season of the Scottish football's top division as we know it. The league was established in July 2013, after the a merger of the then Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League.
The 2019/20 season was cut short due to the covid-19 pandemic - football was suspended on Friday 13th March with the season curtailed in mid May. Celtic were crowned Champions on PPG basis (2.67 to second placed Ranger's total of 2.31) with Heart of Midlothian relegated on a PPG total of 0.77.
Here we look at the member clubs for the forthcoming season and the English players plying their trade North of the border.
ABERDEEN
Striker Sam Cosgrove has been the subject of some transfer rumours over the summer. The 23 year old who came through the academy ranks at Wigan Athletic cost the club only £20,000 when moving from Carlisle United in 2018 has turned down a move to French second tier side Guingamp - The club has reportedly accepted a bid of around £2,000,000 for him. McInnes has stated that it's likely Cosgrove will be sold in the coming months. He scored 21 goals in 44 games in 2018/19 and 23 in 37 games last season. Will he end up at an English club for the 2020/21 season?
Goalkeeper Joe Lewis, 32, is the Aberdeen club Captain and has made over 100 appearances for the club since joining in 2016. He was born in Bury St Edmunds and came through the youth ranks at Norwich City. As well as his time with Aberdeen he is most well known for his time with Peterborough United whom he joined in 2008 for a reported fee of £400,000 from Norwich City. He played 167 times for The Posh before moving to Cardiff City in 2012.
The next game Shay Logan will play for Aberdeen with be the Manchester born right back's 200th appearance for the club. He came through the ranks at Manchester City making one league cup appearance against Bristol City - He had loan spells with a number of clubs before moving to Brentford in 2011 where he played in over 100 games for the London club.
Striker Curtis Main grew up in South Shields and came through the academy ranks at Darlington before a move to Middlesbrough in 2011 who were then managed by Tony Mowbray. He played in 52 games for Middlesbrough in three seasons. He then went on to play for Shrewsbury Town, Doncaster Rovers, Oldham Athletic and Portsmouth before moving North of the Border to play for Motherwell. He joined Abderdeen in June 2019 on a two year deal and scored four times in twenty-four games last season.
CELTIC
The champions currently have no English players on their books. The Hoops have had many Englishmen play for them including Chris Sutton, Scott Sinclair, Fraser Forster, Carlton Cole, Ian Wright MBE and Gary Hooper to name a few in recent times.
DUNDEE UNITED
Callum Butcher, 29, signed for The Tangerines in January 2019 for a second spell with the club. Born in Essex he came through the youth ranks at Ipswich Town, Southend United and Tottenham Hotspur. Whilst with Spurs he spent some time on loan with Barnet but was released and moved to Danish side FC Hjorring for the 2011/12 campaign. He spent the 12/13 season with then Conference south side Hayes & Yeading. He then headed North for a trial with Dundee United and signed for the club initially in the summer of 2013. The midfielder has since played for Burton Albion, Millwall, Mansfield Town and Billericay Town. He signed a new contract last November which keeps him at the club until 2023.
Butcher joined the club with striker Kudus Oyenuga who also had played for Hayes and Yeading in the 12/13 campaign. Oyenuga only made one appearance for Dundee United and played on loan for Cowdenbeath in the 14/14 season. He was last with Isthmian League side's Margate and Leatherhead in the 2019/20 season.
Luke Bolton is a twenty year old winger/full back currently on loan from Manchester City. He spent some of the 18/19 campaign on loan with Wycombe Wanderers and the 19/20 season with Luton Town where he made 24 Championship appearances.
HAMILTON ACADEMICAL
Will Collar joined the club in the summer of 2019 after coming through the ranks at Brighton & HA. He made one appearance for The Seagulls in the 2018/19 league cup game against Southampton. He played in 19 games for The Accies last season.
Former Carshalton Athletic striker Mickel Miller scored 12 goals in 68 games between 2017 to 2020 - He joined English Championship side Rotherham United in early July on a two year deal.
HIBERNIAN
Winger Drey Wright, 25, has recently joined Hibs from St Johnstone where he had been since 2018 after joining from Colchester United. He was out of the game through a nasty knee injury for much of the 18/19 campaign. His Dad is Jermaine Wright who is most well known for his time with Southampton, Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Crewe Alexandra during his playing career. His younger brother is Diaz Wright who also came through the ranks at Colchester and is still with the club - He spent time on loan with Welling United and Dagenham & Redbridge last season.
Centre Back Adam Jackson was released by Barnsley in the summer of 2019 and joined Hibs on a two year deal. He made 22 appearances for the club last season. The 26 year old was a product of the Middlesbrough academy.
KILMARNOCK
Alex Dyer recently signed a permanent two year deal to be manager of Kilmarnock. He had been in temporary charge after Angelo Alessio was sacked in December. Was assistant manager to Steve Clark between 2017 to 2019.
With Dyer in charge there are a number of English players on the books at Rugby Park.
Liverpool born Aaron McGowan recently joined the club from Hamilton Academical where he had spent two seasons and was named as player of the year and fan's player of the year in the 18/19 campaign. The full back made over 100 appearances for League Two side Morecambe between 2012 to 2018.
Another recent signed in left back Brandon Haunstrup who joins from League One side Portsmouth where he was more of squad player making 20, 12 and 19 appearances in the last three seasons. In 2015 he spent time on loan in the Isthmian League with Bognor Regis Town.
Striker Nicke Kabamba signed a one and half year contract for Kilmarnock in January 2019. The 27 year old was born in Brent, London and played for a number of local non-league sides including Hayes and Yeading United, Uxbridge, Hayes, Burnham and Hemel Hempstead Town before a two year spell with Hampton and Richmond Borough where he scored 40 goals in 80 games saw him gain a move to then League Two side Portsmouth. His time at Fratton Park saw game time limited and he then joined Havant & Waterlooville before moving to Hartlepool United where he moved to Kilmarnock from. He scored four goals in twelve games before the season was curtailed in March.
Mitchell Pinnock is another summer signing for Dyer - this time after spending two seasons with AFC Wimbledon. The midfielder, 25, is another to have spent time in the non-league game around the south-east of England. He spent time as a youth with Southend United and Arsenal before playing for Billericay Town, East Thurrock United, Bromley, Concord Rangers, Maidstone United, Tonbridge Angels, Dover Athletic and Kingstonian.
Zeno Rossi is a tall central defender who was born in Streatham, South London. The 19 year old has signed on loan for the season from AFC Bournemouth where he is rated very highly by their coaching staff.
Striker Danny Whitehall has recently joined the club on a six month contract after scoring 13 times in 38 games for National League side Maidenhead United last season. The 24 year old was born in Warrington and played as a youth for Rochdale before spells with Southport and Marine. He has also played in the USA for a club called Chattanooga FC who ply their trade in the third tier of the game in America.
LIVINGSTON
Jack Fitzwater, 22, joined Livingston this summer from West Bromwich Albion. The Birmingham born defender came through the ranks at The Hawthorns but never made an appearances for The Baggies playing on loan for Walsall, Forest Green Rovers, Hednesford Town and Chesterfield.
Marvin Bartley in the Livingston Captain and is another player to come through the English non-league system. He was born in Reading and played for Burnham, Didcot Town, Hayes and Hampton & Richmond Borough before a move to AFC Bournemouth in 2007 who were then in League One. He followed Manager Eddie Howe to Burnley in 2011 after making over 100 appearances for The Cherries. He then played for Leyton Orient in 14/15 season before moving North of the Border to player for Hibernian where he played in over 100 games before a move to Livingston last summer.
Jon Guthrie began his football career in Wiltshire with Pewsey Vale where he played for the youth teams and first team from 2001 to 2012. The 27 year old defender then moved to Crewe Alexandra and then onto Walsall in 2017. Joined Livingston last summer and played in 32 games last season netting 6 goals.
Hakeem Odoffin, 22, was born in Barnet and spent time as a youth player with Tottenham Hotspur, Reading and The Bees. He only made a handful of appearances for Barnet before a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2016 for an undisclosed fee. He played on loan for Eastleigh during his time in the West Midlands but was released with making a first team appearance. He joined Northampton Town in 2018 and moved on Livingston last summer. Only played in seven first team games last season.
MOTHERWELL
25 year old defender/midfielder Liam Grimshaw joined Motherwell in 2017 from Preston North End where he spent the 2016/17 season. He came through the ranks of Manchester United. He has two caps for the England under 18 side in 2012 and 2013. A first team regular with Motherwell.
Nathan McGinley is a new signing for the 2020/21 season. The 23 year old Middlesbrough born left back/centre back joins after a two season spell with Forest Green Rovers in League Two. He was a youth player with his home town club but only made one appearance in the 2018 League Cup tie with Notts County where he came on as a substitute.
Jermaine Hylton, 27, is another player with his roots in the non-league game in England. He was born in Birmingham and played as a youth for Kidderminster Harriers and Birmingham City before representing Continental Star and Redditch United. In January 2015 the forward gained a move to Swindon Town where made thirty-nine League One appearances between 2015 to 2017. He only scored one goal (against Peterborough United) in his spell at Swindon. He played for Soliull Moors from 2017 to 2019 before moving to Motherwell. He made 36 appearances last season netting 4 goals.
Callum Lang has recently joined on loan from Wigan Athletic. The 21 year old forward has been with Wigan as a youth since 2013 and signed first team forms in 2017. He has been on loan with Morecambe (17/18), Oldham Athletic (18/19) and Shrewsbury Town (19/20).
Chris Long is a former England youth International who joined the club from Blackpool in 2019. A product of the Everton academy he has also played for Burnley, Fleetwod Town and a number of clubs on loan. The 25 year old scored 11 goals in 31 appearances for Motherwell last season.
RANGERS
With Steven Gerrard MBE the boss at Ibrox it's no surprise to see a number of English players on the books including Jermaine Defoe OBE who joined the club on a permanent basis after his contract at AFC Bournemouth recently expired - He has signed a one year contract. He joined Rangers on loan in January 2019 and has since scored 25 goals in 52 games for the club. The former England International turns 38 in October but has shown no signs of slowing down and will no doubt be amongst the goals this season in the twilight of his illustrious career. Defoe is only a few years younger than his boss and former England team mate - Gerrard turned 40 in May!
James Tavernier is the club captain and plays at right back. He is 28 years old and came through the ranks at Leeds United and Newcastle United signed as a professional at St James Park in 2009. He stayed with the club until 2014 but spent loan spells with Gateshead, Carlisle United, MK Dons, Sheffield Wednesday, Shrewsbury Town and Rotherham United before moving permanently to Wigan Athletic. His game time was limited with Wigan and in 2015 he made the move to Rangers for a reported transfer fee of £200,000. Rangers were then in the second tier of the Scottish game. He has since played over 150 times for the club.
Connor Goldson signed for the club in 2018 from Brighton & HA. The 6ft 3inch centre back has also played for Shrewsbury Town and Cheltenham Town (loan) during his career so far. He is close to making 100 appearances for the Ibrox side.
George Edmundson was born in Manchester and joined Rangers from Oldham Athletic in 2019. The 22 year old central defender made 15 appearances for the club last season.
Ryan Kent spent the 18/19 season on loan at Ibrox from Liverpool and joined on a permanent basis in the summer of 2019 for an initial transfer fee of £6,500,000. The 23 year old is predominantly a left sided attacker and scored 8 goals in 32 game last season.
Brandon Baker is a product of the academy at Manchester City whom he moved to Rangers from in 2019. He made one appearance as a substitute in an FA Cup game against Chelsea in 2016 for City and had loan spells with Rotherham United, NAC Breda, Hibernian and Preston NE whilst with the club. The former England youth International, now 23, made just 12 appearances for Rangers last season.
Andy Firth is a goalkeeper who was with Liverpool as a youth but left Anfield to join Barrow for the 18/19 season. He joined Rangers in January 2019.
Calvin Bassey is a 20 year old left back who has recently signed a four year contract with Rangers after leaving Leicester City. There were many clubs interested in signing the athletic and powerfully built defender but it was Gerrard who was successful in gaining his signature.
ROSS COUNTY
Despite being the furthest North club in the current Scottish Premiership The Staggies have seven English players on their books!
Connor Randall was born in Liverpool and came though the Anfield club's academy playing on loan at Shrewsbury Town, Heart of Midlothian and Rochdale before moving to Bulgarian club Arda Kardzhali after being released last September. The 24 year old right back recently joined Ross County.
Carl Tremarco is another Liverpudlian in the squad. He recently joined the club from local rival's Inverness Caledonian Thistle where he had made over 150 appearances since 2013. The defender, 34, has also played for Tranmere Rovers, Macclesfield Town, Wrexham, Darlington and Maltese club Floriana during his career.
Defender Liam Fontaine was born in Beckenham in South London in 1986 and is known mostly for his eight year spell with Bristol City between 2006 and 2014. He came through the ranks at Fulham and joined Ross County from Hibernian in 2018.
Ross Draper is another former Inverness Caledonian Thistle player in the squad. He came through Shrewsbury Town's academy before dropping into non-league football with Stafford Rangers and Hednesford Town before moving back up to the football league with Macclesfield Town. He was with Thistle from 2012 to 2017 where he joined Ross County from.
Tom Grivosti is another player who was born in Liverpool. He was with Bolton Wanderers as a youth player before moving to Ross County in 2017. Since 2018 the 21 year old defender has played 27 times for County.
Regan Charles-Cook was born in Lewisham and was with Charlton Athletic as a youth player. Now 23 years old he spent time on loan with Woking and Solihull Moors before moving to Gillingham in 2018. The midfielder played 52 games for the Kent club and recently made the very long journey to join Ross County in June.
Jordan Tilson joined Ross County in January and made 8 appearances prior to the season being put on hold. He was born in Bath and played for Exeter City from 2012 to 2020 making over 100 appearances for the Devon club.
ST JOHNSTONE
Scott Tanser has been with the club since 2017 - The left back played for Rochdale and Port Vale in England before moving North of the Border.
Elliot Parish is a well travelled goalkeeper who joined last summer but only played in two league cup games last season. Now 30 years old he is a product of the Aston Villa academy system and has also represented Cardiff City, Bristol City, Blackpool, Colchester United, Accrington Stanley and Dundee prior to moving to McDiarmid Park.
Issac Olaofe is a 20 year old forward who has recently joined on loan from Millwall where he was a member of their under 23 side. He spent some time on loan at National League side Sutton United. Olaofe joins the club with Danny McNamara (Republic of Ireland u21 international) who has also joined on loan from the South London club. New manager Callum Davidson has recently replaced Tommy Wright was assistant manager to Gary Rowett at The New Den prior to his appointment with The Saints.
ST MIRREN
Jak Alnwick spent time with both Sunderland and Newcastle United as a youngster and made 6 Premier League appearances for The Toon in the 2014/15 season. He went on to play for Port Vale before a move to Rangers in 2016 where over four seasons he only played in 10 first team games. Spent the 18/19 season on loan with Scunthorpe United and last season with Blackpool. Recently signed a two year contract with the club and will be the replacement for out going goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky.
Jon Obika might be the record holder for most number of loan spells in a football career. He was born in North London growing up in Edmonton and being part of the Tottenham Hotspur academy and signed professional forms in 2008. Whilst at Spurs he spent time on loan at Yeovil Town (4 spells), Millwall, Crystal Palace, Peterborough United, Swindon Town, Charlton Athletic (2 spells) and Brington & HA. He made a total of 4 first team appearances for Spurs in the League Cup and FA Cup before spending three seasons with Swindon Town and two with Oxford United. He joined St Mirren last summer and scored 12 goals in 34 games last season.
Dean Lyness is a goalkeeper who has played for Birmingham City, Heart of Midlothian, East Fife (Loan), Kidderminster Harriers, Burton Albion, Blackpool, Nuneaton Town and Raith Rovers. He joined St Mirren for a second spell in June 2019 after a short spell with the club between September 2018 to January 2019.
SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP OPENING WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday 1st August
3pm unless stated
Aberdeen v Rangers - 12.30pm
Dundee Utd v St Johnstone
Hibernian v Kilmarnock
St. Mirren v Livingston
Sunday 2nd August
Celtic v Hamilton Academical - 4.30pm
Monday 3rd August
Ross County v Motherwell - 7.45pm
SKYBET.COM CURRENT ODDS FOR THE TITLE
Celtic 4/9
Rangers 7/4
Aberdeen 66/1
Hibernian 200/1
Motherwell 500/1
Kilmarnock 750/1
Dundee United 1000/1
Livingston 1000/1
St Johnstone 1000/1
Ross County 1500/1
Hamilton 2500/1
St Mirren 2500/1
There is no surprise to see Rangers and Celtic heading the betting for the title. The question most fans will ask is in what order of the top two will the Glasgow giants finish. If Celtic should win the 2020/21 title it will be a historic tenth title in a row which will beat the current record of nine in a row. Celtic achieved this feat between 1966 to 1974 and also from 2012 to 2020 with Rangers winning nine from 1989 to 1997.
If you like an outside bet Hamilton Academical are 25/1 to win at Celtic Park on Sunday with the hosts at massively odds on of 1/12 and a draw being 19/2. In recent times (since 2008) the two clubs have played each other a total of 27 times with Celtic winning 24 games, 2 draws and just one victory for The Accies which came at Celtic Park in October 2014 when Alistair Crawford scored the only goal of the game! As they say football is a funny old game so you never know?
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