Anthony Ralston
Ralston in 2023
Personal information
Full name Anthony Ralston[1]
Date of birth (1998-11-16) 16 November 1998
Place of birth Bellshill, Scotland
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2]
Position(s) Right-back
Team information
Current team
 Celtic
Number 56
Youth career
2007–2015 Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015– Celtic 65 (5)
2015–2016 → Queen's Park (loan) 10 (1)
2018 → Dundee United (loan) 11 (1)
2019–2020 → St Johnstone (loan) 22 (0)
International career‡
2016 Scotland U19 6 (0)
2017 Scotland U20 5 (0)
2017–2018 Scotland U21 5 (0)
2021– Scotland 7 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:54, 16 December 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:19, 16 November 2023 (UTC)

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.

Club career

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]

On 15 December 2021, Ralston headed in a 97th minute winner against Ross County in a dramatic 1-2 away victory for a Celtic side that was reduced to 10-men at Victoria Park.[16] This sealed a result which kept Celtic within touching distance of Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, who were only four points above Celtic in the league table at that time. It has been looked back on as one of the most important moments in Celtic going on to win the 2021-22 Scottish Premiership title.[17]

On 26 September 2023, Ralston has signed a new four-year contract with Celtic, keeping him at the club until 2027.[18]

International career

Ralston was involved with several Scotland youth squads up to the under-21s.[19]

Selected for the Scotland under-20 squad in the 2017 Toulon Tournament,[20] Ralston played as Scotland beat Brazil under-20s 1–0, which was the nations first ever win against Brazil at any level.[21] The team went on to claim the bronze medal.[22] It was the nations first ever medal at the competition.[23] Selected for the under-21 squad in the 2018 Toulon Tournament.[24] They lost to Turkey under-21s in a penalty-out and finished fourth.[25]

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.[26] He made his international debut in the match[27] as a late substitute for Kieran Tierney.[28] On his second Scotland appearance he scored his first international goal during a Nations League group match against Armenia, assisted by Stuart Armstrong.[29]

Career statistics

Club

As of 21:03, 15 February 2023 (UTC)[30]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Celtic 2015–16 Scottish Premiership 100000000010
2016–17 100010000020
2017–18 300021200071
2018–19 411000000051
2019–20 200000200040
2020–21 100000000010
2021–22 284304012100475
2022–23 10000100000110
Total 505408116100787
Queen's Park (loan) 2015–16 Scottish League Two 10110000030141
Dundee United (loan) 2017–18 Scottish Championship 11100000041152
St Johnstone (loan) 2019–20 Scottish Premiership 22020000000240
Career total 93770811617113110

International

As of match played on 19 November 2023[31]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Scotland 202110
202251
202310
Total71
Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ralston goal.
List of international goals scored by Anthony Ralston
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
18 June 2022Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland Armenia1–02–02022–23 UEFA Nations League B

Honours

Celtic

References

  1. ↑ A Record of Post-war Scottish League Players 1946/47 to 2017/18. 7. John Litster and Scottish Football Historian magazine. 2018.
  2. ↑ "Anthony Ralston". Celtic F.C. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Delight as Anthony Ralston signs new Celtic contract". Celtic FC. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  4. ↑ Davie, Scott (11 May 2016). "St Johnstone 2–1 Celtic". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "Celtic 5-0 Kilmarnock". BBC. 8 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "PSG ace Neymar blanks Celtic teen Anthony Ralston as he tries to shake his hand". Daily Record. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Celtic full-back Anthony Ralston signs deal until 2022". BBC Sport. BBC. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  8. ↑ "Anthony Ralston joins Dundee United on emergency loan". Celtic. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Tony Ralston - Player Profile". Arab Archive. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  10. ↑ "Ralston joins on-loan". St Johnstone F.C. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  11. ↑ Watt, Martin (17 January 2021). "Celtic 0–0 Livingston". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Anthony Ralston signs Celtic contract extension as reward for early season heroics". Daily Record. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  13. ↑ Watt, Martin (20 July 2021). "Celtic 1–1 FC Midtjylland". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  14. ↑ Duncan, Thomas (28 July 2021). "FC Midtjylland 2–1 Celtic". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  15. ↑ "How Rogic & Ralston have revived careers". BBC Sport. 18 August 2021.
  16. ↑ "Celtic beat County with last-gasp goal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "How did Celtic win the Scottish Premiership? Five key reasons for Ange Postecoglou's title success". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  18. ↑ "Anthony Ralston signs new four-year deal with the Hoops". www.celticfc.com. Celtic FC. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  19. ↑ Anthony Ralston at the Scottish Football Association
  20. ↑ "Scotland squad for Toulon announced". Scottish Football Association. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  21. ↑ "Toulon semi-final spot would be a dream for Celtic youngster Anthony Ralston". Glasgow Times. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  22. ↑ "Scotland finish third at Toulon Tournament with 3-0 win". Scottish Football Association. 10 June 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  23. ↑ "JULES AND HOLSGROVE TAKE BRONZE WITH SCOTLAND IN TOULON". Reading FC. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  24. ↑ "Scotland Under-21 squad announced for Toulon tournament". Scottish Football Association. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  25. ↑ "Scotland finish fourth at the Toulon tournament after shoot-out defeat to Turkey". Scottish Football Association. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  26. ↑ "Celtic's Anthony Ralston called for Scotland duty against Denmark". The Scotsman. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  27. ↑ "Scotland 2-0 Denmark: John Souttar and Che Adams fire Tartan Army to home World Cup play-off". Sky Sports. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  28. ↑ Lindsay, Clive (15 November 2021). "Scotland beat Danes to earn home play-off". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  29. ↑ Moffat, Colin (8 June 2022). "Scotland 2-0 Armenia: Anthony Ralston revels in special first start at Hampden". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  30. ↑ "A. Ralston". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  31. ↑ Anthony Ralston at the Scottish Football Association
  32. ↑ "Dundee United 1–1 Celtic: Ange Postecoglou's side reclaim league title". BBC Sport. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  33. ↑ Watt, Martin (7 May 2023). "Heart of Midlothian 0–2 Celtic: Ange Postecoglou's side seal back-to-back titles". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  34. ↑ Duncan, Thomas (3 June 2023). "Celtic 3–1 Inverness CT: Ange Postecoglou's side win Scottish Cup to claim treble". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  35. ↑ "Hibernian 1–2 Celtic". BBC Sport.
  36. ↑ Moffat, Colin (26 February 2023). "Kyogo strikes twice as Celtic beat Rangers in final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 February 2023.

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