Anthony Ralston (born 16 November 1998) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Scottish Premiership club Celtic and the Scotland national football team.
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Anthony Ralston[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1998-11-16) 16 November 1998 (age 23) | ||
Place of birth | Bellshill, Scotland | ||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Right-back | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Celtic | ||
Number | 56 | ||
Youth career | |||
2007–2015 | Celtic | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015– | Celtic | 48 | (5) |
2015–2016 | → Queen's Park (loan) | 10 | (1) |
2018 | → Dundee United (loan) | 11 | (1) |
2019–2020 | → St Johnstone (loan) | 22 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
2016 | Scotland U19 | 6 | (0) |
2017 | Scotland U20 | 5 | (0) |
2017–2018 | Scotland U21 | 5 | (0) |
2021– | Scotland | 6 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:09, 12 November 2022 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:04, 27 September 2022 (UTC) |
Part of the youth system at Celtic since the age of eight,[3] Ralston made his debut for the first team on 11 May 2016, in a 2–1 defeat against St Johnstone.[4] He scored his first goal for the club in a 5–0 Scottish League Cup win over Kilmarnock on 8 August 2017.[5] He made further appearances early in the 2017–18 season, including a UEFA Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain,[6] but then suffered a knee injury in late September.[7] Ralston signed a long-term contract with Celtic in December 2017, with the deal due to run until the end of the 2021–22 season.[7]
On 16 March 2018, Ralston joined Dundee United on an emergency loan until the end of the 2017–18 season, a side challenging for promotion from the Championship up to the Premiership.[8] He made his debut on 20 March, in a 3–2 loss in the league to Queen of the South.[9] In 15 appearances, he helped United reach the semi-final play-off for promotion, scoring two goals, albeit the side lost to Livingston in the semi-final play-off.[9]
On 2 September 2019, Ralston moved to St Johnstone on a season-long loan.[10]
Upon his return from the St Johnstone loan, Ralston played in only one game for Celtic during the following season, coming in a 0–0 draw against Livingston when several squad regulars were missing due to a Covid-19 isolation issue,[11] and when centre-half Kristoffer Ajer then loanee Jonjoe Kenny were selected at right-back ahead of him following the sale of Jeremie Frimpong, it appeared his time with the club would be coming to an end.[12]
At the start of the 2021–22 season under new manager Ange Postecoglou, Ralston signed a contract extension until May 2022 and started in both legs against FC Midtjylland in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round.[13][14] Media outlets praised his performances in the early part of the season, following goals against Hearts and Dundee.[15] On 2 November 2021, he signed a new long-term contract with Celtic, keeping him at the club until 2025.[3][12]
Ralston was involved with several Scotland youth squads up to the under-21s.[16]
Selected for the Scotland under-20 squad in the 2017 Toulon Tournament,[17] Ralston played as Scotland beat Brazil under-20s 1–0, which was the nations first ever win against Brazil at any level.[18] The team went on to claim the bronze medal.[19] It was the nations first ever medal at the competition.[20] Selected for the under-21 squad in the 2018 Toulon Tournament.[21] They lost to Turkey under-21s in a penalty-out and finished fourth.[22]
In November 2021 he was called up to the senior squad for the first time ahead of a 2022 World Cup qualifier against Denmark, as a replacement for the suspended Nathan Patterson.[23] He made his international debut in the match[24] as a late substitute for Kieran Tierney.[25] On his second Scotland appearance he scored his first international goal during a Nations League group match against Armenia, assisted by Stuart Armstrong.[26]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Celtic | 2015–16 | Scottish Premiership | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2016–17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
2017–18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||
2018–19 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | ||
2019–20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
2020–21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
2021–22 | 28 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 5 | ||
Total | 40 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 7 | ||
Queen's Park (loan) | 2015–16 | Scottish League Two | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
Dundee United (loan) | 2017–18 | Scottish Championship | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 2 |
St Johnstone (loan) | 2019–20 | Scottish Premiership | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
Career total | 83 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 120 | 10 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
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Scotland | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
2022 | 5 | 1 | |
Total | 6 | 1 |
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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1 | 8 June 2022 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B |
Celtic
Celtic F.C. – current squad | |
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