Born on 3 December 1964 in Scotland, Tosh McKinlay was a defender, predominantly occupying the left-back position. He is 5ft 10in (1.78m) tall and weighs 11st 9lb (74kg). The number 34 jersey was commonly associated with McKinlay throughout his career.
McKinlay kickstarted his professional football career with Dundee FC in the Scottish Premiership in July 1981. His debut season passed without a single first team appearance, but in the following 1983 - 1984 season, McKinlay started to establish himself, making 36 first team appearances and scoring three goals. He remained at Dundee until season 1988 - 1989, with his most notable performances occurring in the 1984 - 1985 and 1986 - 1987 seasons, where he made 34 and 32 first team appearances respectively.
In December 1988, McKinlay transferred to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. At Hearts, the 1989 - 1990 season saw McKinlay make 29 appearances and score one goal. His performances remained consistent throughout his tenure at Hearts, culminating in the 1993 - 1994 season where he racked up 43 first team appearances.
However, his most significant career move came in November 1994, when McKinlay joined Celtic for a fee of around £350k. McKinlay donned the Celtic jersey with pride, making 17 first team appearances in the remainder of the 1994 - 1995 season. As part of Celtic, he consistently made appearances and played crucial roles in the following seasons. He contributed significantly to Celtic's cause, most notably during the 1995 - 1996 and 1996 - 1997 seasons when he made 32 and 27 first team appearances, respectively. His time at Celtic concluded with the 1998 - 1999 season in which he played 18 first team matches.
On a side note, McKinlay was loaned to Stoke City in the Championship in England in January 1998. This short tenure only saw him participate in three league matches. He later joined Grasshoppers in the Swiss Super League in October 1999, making four first team league appearances. His final season was spent at Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership, making 15 first team appearances and drawing a line under his professional football career.
