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Newly promoted Hull City have acquired the services of Scotland’s number one goalkeeper Allan McGregor from Turkish side Besiktas for a fee of around 1.8 million pounds subject to international clearance. The signing of the former Glasgow Rangers shot stopper represents a fine business for Hull City manager Steve Bruce.
The Tigers, in their pursuit of Premier League survival next season, have signed a proven international who has immense experience at the Scottish top level to shine at the KC Stadium come the 2013-14 season. Having been at Rangers for a good part of the last decade, the 31-year old Scotland international was part of a reluctant yet lucrative transfer deal that had seen him move to Istanbul in July 2012 due to the dramatic change in fortunes of Glasgow Rangers.
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Although McGregor settled in Turkey well and was instrumental in helping Besiktas to a third place finish in the Turkish Superleague in the 2012-13 season, the Scotsman came in for some unfair criticism between the sticks at the Inonu.
McGregor has 29 caps for Scotland and is currently the number one at Hampden Park and would have played more international games for the national side had it not been for an international exile for more than a year.
In April 2009, McGregor and then Glasgow Rangers team-mate Barry Ferguson were banned from international selection by the Scottish Football Association after being photographed making ‘V’ signs while sitting in the substitutes’ bench during Scotland’s World Cup qualifying match against Iceland.
The pair had been dropped by Scotland manager George Burley for the Iceland game on April 1, 2009 after participating in an early-hours drinking session at the team hotel following a 3-0 loss in the previous match against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on March 28,2009.
Allan McGregor apologised for the incidents and the following year was recalled to the national side for a friendly against Sweden. He has been Scotland’s first choice goalkeeper ever since having been a consistent performer and Steve Bruce has rightly identified his keeper for the new season who has the right mental set up to thrive in the pressure world of the Barclays Premier League.
Watching a talented and experienced British keeper plying his trade in the controversy marred environment of Turkish football is sheer frustration for any football follower and the move to the KC Stadium indicates that the six feet tall keeper has football in mind rather than the money on offer in the far corner of Europe. Furthermore with Besiktas handed European bans for domestic match fixing, it is risky for a player of Allan McGregor’s talent to keep playing in the Superleague.
With more than 200 appearances for Rangers from 2001 to 2012, McGregor arrives in England with fine pedigree. He will meet his new team-mates for the first time later this week, when Hull’s pre-season training gets under way. The signing of a top class goalkeeper indicates Steve Bruce’s intentions to invest in his defence for the new Premier League season which could prove to be critical for the Tigers’ survival in the top-flight. The former Sunderland boss has already signed defender Curties Davies from Birmingham City and made the likes of full-back Liam Rosenior and center-back James Chester sign new contracts at the club.
The news of McGregor’s arrival at Hull, subject to an international clearance, has already been welcomed by Hull fans and players alike with the keeper himself admitting that he closely followed the Yorkshire club while playing for Besiktas and contacts were made by the club and the player even before the Tigers’ promotion to the Premier League on the last day of the full Championship campaign.
“I’ve had a few chats with the manager here and I really had belief and confidence in what he was saying about the club,” said McGregor.
“The chance to play in the Premier League is also a massive thing and I can’t wait to get started here.
“I got a call a while ago about the interest from Hull City and things progressed from there. I kept an eye on what was going on back here while I was playing in Turkey and I actually watched the last few minutes of Hull City’s game against Cardiff on the final day of the season.” he added.
“Now we’ve got the excitement of the Premier League to look forward to. I’ve seen we’re playing Chelsea in our first game and that is a game I’m sure everybody will be looking forward to.”
