McCullough Keillar Image 1 Belfast Celtic 1934

Description

Larne, County Antrim born inside right and later right half Keillar McCullough began his football career with Irish Intermediate League clubs Newington and  Rangers, from where he signed for Irish League club Belfast Celtic in August 1927. McCullough made an immediate impact at Celtic Park, earning praise for the way he adapted to the big stage. He was noted for his effectiveness with his head and was one of the earliest examples of a defensive player “going up” for a corner kick, rising high above the opposing defence. When employed at inside-forward McCullough’s cleverness could change a game in a split-second. In his eight seasons with Celtic he won countless honours, though the Irish Cup did elude him. Principal among these were an Irish League Championship, a Gold Cup and a City Cup. He was first selected for The Irish League XI in 1928 going on to win 6 League caps through to 1935, scoring once, and he was also capped 5 times for Ireland between 1935 and 1936, the first two while at Belfast Celtic.

He transferred to Manchester City in November 1935, making his Football League debut the same month at Derby County, however at Maine Road he was unable to make any significant impact, playing only twice in their League Championship winning season of 1936-37, scoring once in 18 matches for The Citizens before a transfer to  Northampton Town in March 1938. He scored twice in 40 matches for The Cobblers but his career was then effectively ended by the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939.