John Rankin Retires
John Rankin has announced his retirement from football, following a long and very successful career.
The midfielder, who celebrates his 37th birthday tomorrow, started his professional career as a youth under the watchful eye of Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, also experiencing time on loan at Corinthians in Brazil at the age of just 18.
His first senior action came at Ross County, where he went on to feature in over 100 matches, winning two player of the year awards. John’s form at The Staggies led to a move to the Premier League with Inverness and another successful period followed, over two seasons.
In 2008, John moved to Hibernian and – again – notched over 100 appearances before signing for Dundee United in 2011. His spell at Tannadice turned out to be the longest of his career, spanning five years and an impressive 207 top-flight appearances.
Following shorter stints at Falkirk and Queen of the South, John joined The Bully Wee in the summer of 2018 and went on to play an influential role in that campaign, as the club secured a long-awaited promotion via the League 1 play-offs. John, however, missed those closing matches due to a serious ankle injury he sustained in the penultimate match of the regular season.
That injury led to John being out for most of the 2019-20 season, but he did return to action in late January, going on to feature against Celtic in the Scottish Cup and scoring a memorable goal against Dumbarton at Broadwood, in what turned out to be his last match.
Aside from playing, John previously held the post of PFA Scotland Chairman and he is currently a coach in the Heart of Midlothian youth academy.
Speaking today, John said:-
“The time feels right for me and my family to embark on the next chapter of our lives. Endeavouring to become the best coach or manager I can possibly be has to be my sole focus now.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Clyde for making me feel part of the club right from the off. As well as being my local club, Danny was one of the main reasons I came to the club. I hadn’t played part-time before and the opportunity to learn from someone with his experience and how to manage in that environment was important to me. He was always open with me and I appreciate that; I have taken a lot from him if I ever find myself in a similar position.
“The players are a great bunch and so together as a group, I wish them all the best for the future. My time at Clyde was hugely enjoyable and I’ll be back watching the lads at some point when football finally gets back.”
Clyde manager, Danny Lennon added:-
“I want to express my thanks to John as he blows the final whistle on what has been a great playing career.
“During his time at Clyde his experience, leadership – on and off the pitch – and professionalism in all that he does has been invaluable to us. His presence on the pitch was missed for much of last season due to the injury he sustained a year ago whilst giving his all for the cause. Had he been available every week for us, I believe we would have finished a place or two higher in the league table. That’s how important he has been for us.
“I have no doubt that should he choose to progress into football coaching and management, he will carve out a tremendous career for himself on that front, as he has all the qualities to succeed.
“We thank him for his valuable contribution to Clyde FC and wish him every success in his future.”