Footballing late bloomers

[GNU_Linux]

Which players had their best years/reached their loftiest heights later than average? Also interested in the oldest top flight debuts for players who spent the majority of their career in the Scotland.

Same question also for managers.

[Hoose Rice]

John Hughes springs to mind immediately.  Big Daz McGregor too. 

[Darren]

Paul Hartley

[ATLIS]

Especially in our Championship playoff winning season, Lee Miller and Neil Alexander looked like standout superstars. Miller in the run from January when he signed, through to the final game away to Partick just carried us through sheer force of will. There's a picture of him with a black eye after that game, and it sums up his contribution. He just went up top to take a beating and battle every game. Alexander came into a Livi team that in the 5-7 years prior never really had a decent keeper let alone a standout one. 

Another one for us, maybe not the highlight of his career (same as the two above) was Marvin Bartley who arrived turning 32 that July, given a three year deal which raised eyebrows. One year later he was club captain and took us to a cup final. Even until his retirement he was one of our best players and a total colossus in the holding midfield role. 

Martindale maybe a shout for this too? First experience of managing or playing at the top level in Scotland coming at the age of 46 is notable. Obviously there's a bigger story behind it and even in League 1 he was assistant manager with us etc but still, given how successful he's been without an extensive playing or managing career it's definitely something

[Willie adie]

Surely Lubo Moravcik, what was he 31 , 32 when he signed for Celtic?

 

 

 

 

[Cptn Hooch]

4 minutes ago, ATLIS said:

Especially in our Championship playoff winning season, Lee Miller and Neil Alexander looked like standout superstars. Miller in the run from January when he signed, through to the final game away to Partick just carried us through sheer force of will. There's a picture of him with a black eye after that game, and it sums up his contribution. He just went up top to take a beating and battle every game. Alexander came into a Livi team that in the 5-7 years prior never really had a decent keeper let alone a standout one. 

Another one for us, maybe not the highlight of his career (same as the two above) was Marvin Bartley who arrived turning 32 that July, given a three year deal which raised eyebrows. One year later he was club captain and took us to a cup final. Even until his retirement he was one of our best players and a total colossus in the holding midfield role. 

Martindale maybe a shout for this too? First experience of managing or playing at the top level in Scotland coming at the age of 46 is notable. Obviously there's a bigger story behind it and even in League 1 he was assistant manager with us etc but still, given how successful he's been without an extensive playing or managing career it's definitely something

Lee Miller had a fairly decent career before Livi, wouldn't say he was a late bloomer as much as on the wind down. Same with Alexander who had represented Scotland and played in a European final before (re)joining us. Bartley is another who was on the wind down.

 

Gary Maley making his professional debut at the age of 34 and going on to make his one and only Premiership appearance at 39 is worth a mention as a late bloomer. 

Joel Nouble is another late(ish) bloomer who bounced around English non-league football before finding a home in Scotland at the age of 26. 

[Dons_1988]

Lee Miller made Bayern Munich look silly long before he signed for livi 

[Hoose Rice]

16 minutes ago, Willie adie said:

Surely Lubo Moravcik, what was he 31 , 32 when he signed for Celtic?

 

 

 

 

He played in the top leagues of France and Germany before Scotland. 

[eez-eh]

54 minutes ago, GNU_Linux said:

Which players had their best years/reached their loftiest heights later than average?

 

18 minutes ago, ATLIS said:

Especially in our Championship playoff winning season, Neil Alexander

Is this the Neil Alexander that played for Rangers, big clubs down south, won 3 Scotland caps and played in a UEFA Cup final?

[eindhovendee]

Craig Brewster.

Knew him as a young lad and would guess even he would be surprised at his career given he was still part time with  Forfar well into his twenties.

[gannonball]

28 minutes ago, Darren said:

Paul Hartley

This was my first name that came in to my head. I didn't rate him at all at Hibs or Saint Johnstone but moving more central at Hearts he was brilliant and was delighted we got him for buttons. Had to play further back because of Nakamura but he was brilliant there for Scotland also.

Another I would say possibly from that era was Barry Robson but think injuries got to him more.

[Archie McSquackle]

Dougie Arnott. Arrived at Motherwell from Pollok when he was 22.

[Gibby82]

Might be misremembering this but was Craig Moore not a bit of a pudding for Rangers then became a pretty decent defender in his mid to late 20s?

[Bonksy+HisChristianParade]

31 minutes ago, gannonball said:

This was my first name that came in to my head. I didn't rate him at all at Hibs or Saint Johnstone but moving more central at Hearts he was brilliant and was delighted we got him for buttons. Had to play further back because of Nakamura but he was brilliant there for Scotland also.

Another I would say possibly from that era was Barry Robson but think injuries got to him more.

Admittedly I was pretty young at the time but I thought he was pretty good at Saints (which was also where he was moved central).  There’s a reason he got a move to Hearts, after all.

[LIVIFOREVER]

1 hour ago, ATLIS said:

Especially in our Championship playoff winning season, Lee Miller and Neil Alexander looked like standout superstars. Miller in the run from January when he signed, through to the final game away to Partick just carried us through sheer force of will. There's a picture of him with a black eye after that game, and it sums up his contribution. He just went up top to take a beating and battle every game. Alexander came into a Livi team that in the 5-7 years prior never really had a decent keeper let alone a standout one. 

Another one for us, maybe not the highlight of his career (same as the two above) was Marvin Bartley who arrived turning 32 that July, given a three year deal which raised eyebrows. One year later he was club captain and took us to a cup final. Even until his retirement he was one of our best players and a total colossus in the holding midfield role. 

Martindale maybe a shout for this too? First experience of managing or playing at the top level in Scotland coming at the age of 46 is notable. Obviously there's a bigger story behind it and even in League 1 he was assistant manager with us etc but still, given how successful he's been without an extensive playing or managing career it's definitely something

 

57 minutes ago, Cptn Hooch said:

Lee Miller had a fairly decent career before Livi, wouldn't say he was a late bloomer as much as on the wind down. Same with Alexander who had represented Scotland and played in a European final before (re)joining us. Bartley is another who was on the wind down.

 

Gary Maley making his professional debut at the age of 34 and going on to make his one and only Premiership appearance at 39 is worth a mention as a late bloomer. 

Joel Nouble is another late(ish) bloomer who bounced around English non-league football before finding a home in Scotland at the age of 26. 

Thought of Pittman when i saw the thread title, coming from the juniors to us in his twenties, and at what, 26? playing in the top flight for the first time, now at 31 he's broke our top appearance record.

[Sortmeout]

Nobody going to mention Davie Weir no?

[gannonball]

13 minutes ago, Bonksy+HisChristianParade said:

Admittedly I was pretty young at the time but I thought he was pretty good at Saints (which was also where he was moved central).  There’s a reason he got a move to Hearts, after all.

Fair enough I can just remember at the time Hearts signing Harley and Boyack thinking they had signed 2 average wingers but wasn't aware Hartley had moved to centre before then.

2 minutes ago, Sortmeout said:

Nobody going to mention Davie Weir no?

I appreciate he had reignited his career a fair bit at Rangers but he was an EPL defender for years and would say he only ended up at Rangers as his legs went a bit but Rangers played a way to counter this as well as having a rapid centre back in Bougherra beside him.

[Cptn Hooch]

18 minutes ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

 

Thought of Pittman when i saw the thread title, coming from the juniors to us in his twenties, and at what, 26? playing in the top flight for the first time, now at 31 he's broke our top appearance record.

I was going to say Pitts but he joined us at 22 and became a key player quite quickly. I suppose in terms of Premiership then yeah he's a shout

[Arch Stanton]

Frank MacAvennie was 20 when he turned senior pro.

Campbell Money had been invited by Johnstone Burgh to a "Beat the goalie" event in one of JB's pre-season games. He saw FMcA play for the Burgh and recommended then Saints boss Ricky McFarlane get him in for a trial.

The rest, as they say, is history. But for that break he might still be sweeping the streets.

[Loonytoons]

1 hour ago, eindhovendee said:

Craig Brewster.

Knew him as a young lad and would guess even he would be surprised at his career given he was still part time with  Forfar well into his twenties.

I was about to post Brewster.  First name that came to me when I read the OP.