- Birthdate: 20 January 1868
- Birthplace: Renton, Scotland
- Date of death: 17 November 1941
- Other clubs: Renton Union, Renton (1888-90), Everton (1890-92), St Bernard's (1895-98)
- Signed from: Everton
- Signed for LFC: July 1892
- International debut: 21.03.1896 vs. Wales
- International caps: 2/0 - 27.03.1897
- Liverpool debut: 03.09.1892
- Last appearance: 20.04.1895
- Debut goal: 07.10.1893
- Last goal: 28.03.1894
- Contract expiry: 04.10.1895
- Win ratio: 59.76% W:49 D:16 L:17
- Honours: Lancashire league 1892/93; Second Division 1893/94
- League games / goals: 51 / 4
- Total games / goals: 82 / 4
Player Profile
In 1890 McLean left the famed Scottish amateurs Renton rejoining his former captain Andrew Hannah at Everton in the professional English League. A year later he won the
League Championship but followed former Everton President, John Houlding, out of the club in 1892, to join Houlding's new outfit, Liverpool. Strongly-built McLean was a regular in the first team during his distinguished Liverpool career. McLean's adventurous play seemed though to displease the Liverpool directors on account of these programme notes for a Cliftonville game in April 1893: "Why will McLean persist in marring his really brilliant and effective play by getting too far away from his own goal? By all means back up the halves, but a full-back has no business whatever amongst the forwards, except on the defensive. If Mac will get rid of this one fault he will be as good a back as there is in England today."
Liverpool struggled right from the start in their first top division season in 1894/95, winning just one of their first 17 League matches, and were not surprisingly relegated back to the Second Division. This proved to be McLean's final season for the club and he joined Scottish Cup winners St Bernard's from Edinburgh, skippering the side and finally gaining international recognition, probably made easier by the fact that he was playing now on the "right side" of the border.
Appearances per season
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps |
Minutes |
Opponent |
3 |
270 |
Preston North End |
3 |
270 |
Bolton Wanderers |
3 |
270 |
Birmingham City |
3 |
270 |
Northwich Vict. |
2 |
180 |
Fleetwood Rangers |
2 |
180 |
Heywood Central |
2 |
180 |
Higher Walton |
2 |
180 |
Middlesbrough I. |
2 |
180 |
Nelson |
2 |
180 |
South Shore |
2 |
180 |
West Manchester |
2 |
180 |
Rossendale |
2 |
180 |
Grimsby Town |
2 |
180 |
Notts County |
2 |
180 |
Crewe |
2 |
180 |
Southport |
2 |
180 |
Burton Swifts |
2 |
180 |
Fairfield |
2 |
180 |
Port Vale |
2 |
180 |
Rotherham Town |
2 |
180 |
Burnley |
2 |
180 |
Arsenal |
2 |
180 |
Newcastle United |
2 |
180 |
Bury |
2 |
180 |
Walsall |
2 |
180 |
Blackpool |
2 |
180 |
Manchester City |
2 |
180 |
Blackburn Rovers |
2 |
180 |
Nottingham Forest |
2 |
180 |
Everton |
2 |
180 |
Wolves |
2 |
180 |
Derby |
2 |
180 |
Stoke City |
2 |
180 |
Aston Villa |
2 |
180 |
Lincoln City |
1 |
90 |
Manchester United |
1 |
90 |
Sunderland |
1 |
90 |
WBA |
1 |
90 |
Sheffield Wednesday |
1 |
90 |
Sheffield United |
1 |
90 |
Barnsley |
1 |
90 |
Newtown |
1 |
90 |
Nantwich |
Total |
Venue |
41 |
Away |
40 |
Home |
1 |
Neutral |
Goals per season
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Milestone Appearances
# |
Date |
Against |
Stadium |
Competition |
1 |
03.09.1892 |
Higher Walton |
Anfield |
Other |
50 |
17.03.1894 |
Lincoln City |
John O' Gaunts |
League |
Milestone Goals
# |
Minute |
Date |
Against |
Stadium |
Competition |
1 |
5 |
07.10.1893 |
Middlesbrough I. |
Anfield |
League |
Related Articles
After winning the Lancashire league Liverpool's climb up the league ladder started in 2nd division. A real fairytale season was ahead and the club's biggest game to date against the most famous club in England in the FA Cup.
We trace the beginnings of Liverpool FC, focusing now on the club's very first season in 1892-1893.
Related Quotes
"Why will McLean persist in marring his really brilliant and effective play by getting too far away from his own goal? By all means back up the halves, but a full-back has no business whatever amongst the forwards, except on the defensive. If Mac will get rid of this one fault he will be as good a back as there is in England today."
Liverpool directors on Duncan McLean in the programme notes against Cliftonville in April 1893
Other Clubs
Club |
Season |
Club rank |
League apps |
League goals |
Total apps |
Total goals |
Renton Union |
|
|
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Renton |
1888-1889 |
Scotland Division 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Renton |
1889-1890 |
Scotland Division 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Renton |
1890-1891 |
Scotland Division 1 |
5 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
Everton |
1890-1891 |
England First Division |
5 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
Everton |
1891-1892 |
England First Division |
20 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
St Bernard's |
1895-1896 |
Scotland Division 1 |
10 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
St Bernard's |
1896-1897 |
Scotland Division 1 |
17 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
St Bernard's |
1897-1898 |
Scotland 1 |
14 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
Total |
71 |
0 |
72 |
0 |