Putting it lightly, Gary Mackay-Steven's football career has featured a dance around Scottish football clubs like a bee looking for his honey. Born on August 31, 1990 and hailing from Scotland, at age 34, Mackay-Steven and his 5 foot 8 inch stature (1.75 metres tall) cuts a competitive figure on the pitch. A specialist forward, he mainly dons the left winger position in Kilmarnock where victory becomes a tangible thing whenever he assumes the jersey numbered 14. Maintaining an athletic form, he tips the scales at around 11 stone (70 kilograms).
In January 2011, he thundered onto the pitch for Airdrieonians in Scotland’s Championship, making an impressive total of 19 first team appearances in league matches his debut season (2010-2011). A move to Dundee United in the Premiership the following July saw a lengthier tenure with a total of 110 first team appearances over four years (2011-2015).
The virus of movement struck again in February 2015, with Mackay-Steven transferred to Celtic for a fee around the £250,000 mark. The lad’s time at Celtic, beyond being a showcase of his footwork, was rather fruitful. Despite a slow start with 13 first league appearances scoring four goals in (2014-2015), his second season (2015-2016) picked up a stride with increased participation in 25 matches and the same figure in goal scores. However, a regression in match appearances to a total of eight in 2016-2017 spelt an end to his time at Celtic.
In July 2017, Mackay-Steven shifted gears and moved to Aberdeen (again, in the Premiership), for a slightly lesser fee reported to be around £150,000. Despite fluctuating league appearances (31 in 2017-2018 and 20 in 2018-2019), he still managed to smuggle the ball into the nets nine times. An itch for change had him set sail to cross the Atlantic and join New York City FC in the American MLS in July 2019. A total of 34 first team appearances and three goals came to fruition during his two-year stint in the Big Apple (2019-2020).
With the dawning of 2021, Mackay-Steven came back to his homeland, joining Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. The winger chalked up 36 first team appearances and two goals across two seasons (2021-2022 and 2022-2023). Following a brief period as a free agent in June 2023, the footballer returned to league play when he joined Kilmarnock in December 2023. Up to the ongoing 2024-2025 season, Mackay-Steven has made 18 league appearances and scored once. Additionally, he’s been part of Kilmarnock’s League Cup 2024-2025 run with a start, and made two appearances as a substitute in the Conference League Qualifiers 2024-2025.
Mackay-Steven’s footprints might be scattered across various pitches, but his feet dancing with a football are memories etched in the minds of fans, regardless of the jersey he bears.
