Scottish Footballers Past and Present that Love to Hang Up the Cleats and Grab a Rod

Footballers are seldom depicted as indulging in the activities that the rest of the population may enjoy. Instead, it’s about investing in multi-million businesses, partying on yachts, and so on. However, in Scotland, there seems to be a strong contingent of top-tier players who prefer to spend their spare time by the waterways with a rod, reel, and camping chair. Some are even in the business of fishing, too.

Scotland’s Famed Fishing Footballers

To show that fishing isn’t simply a retirement activity, we’ll kick off here with a look at Callum Paterson. Boasting 17 Scotland caps and still playing for the MK Dons, the right-back has said that throughout his journeyman-like career, “I just play football and go fishing.” He’s hailed as a fishing fanatic and has posted many of his outings online.

We can also look to one of Scotland’s all-time greats, Ally McCoist. Back in 1999, he was the headline act for the opening of the brown trout season at Cowans Law and is known to enjoy casting a line from time to time himself. Wilson Hoggan, formerly of Falkirk FC, also dabbles in trout, only now as part of a management team for a top trout fishery.

Steve Clarke, who famously took Scotland back to the World Cup earlier this year, is also a very keen angler. His preferred take is fly fishing, which he says he finds “relaxing” as you get to “enjoy the solitude, the peace and quiet” while only thinking about catching those fish. Like McCoist decades ago, Clarke was in attendance to help launch the salmon fishing season, this time at Kinclaven Bridge on the River Tay.

Two Tiers of Appeal for Footballers

For a start, Scotland is overflowing with idyllic spots to catch some of the UK’s best fish – be that for the challenge or for the grill. So, it makes sense that so many major footballers would find themselves entranced with the prospect of angling. As well as the inviting scenery, the activity itself lends itself to footballers in a couple of different ways.

The way that many would assume is that it poses another challenge for these very competitive people. It’s about the screaming reel and the challenge of beating the unknown fish on the line. In this way, it can be action-packed, which is what a lot of hit fishing entertainment emphasise when they lean into the fishing frenzy. The slot game Fishing Frenzy, for example, is about unlocking the feature and catching as many cash fish as possible.

It mirrors this angle of the activity in a way that suits the game type, making the fishing feature particularly popular. You can also look to the classic TV slate of fishing shows. River Monsters was a huge hit for ten seasons until, essentially, Jeremy Wade ran out of fish to catch. Earlier this year, it was said to be enjoying another audience spike.

Then, there’s the ‘getting away from it all’ side that Clarke has spoken to. Being away from the pressure of the pitch, tens of thousands of fans, and the huge sums of money being thrown around can be fishing’s biggest appeal. Angling, just being low-key but requiring your concentration, is certainly a big selling point for many.

Given what’s on offer in Scotland and what the activity can offer to different preferences, it’s not a surprise that several Scottish footballers are happy to trade the football pitch for a seat by the river for a while.