Steven Thompson On His Playing Career And Moving Into TV Punditry And Presenting

You developed as a player at Dundee United who were your first professional club. What are your highlights from your time at Tannadice?

“Probably the strong foundation it gave me, first and foremost. I joined Dundee United when I was about 13 on a schoolboy form. Jim McLean actually made the effort to come down to my house in Houston to personally sign me. That gesture of him travelling all the way from Dundee really left an impression on me.

“After staying on at school, I joined full-time in my sixth year when I was 17. I was fortunate enough to make my debut at 17 as well. My time at Dundee United was invaluable, primarily because of the incredible coaching I received. The coaches there worked tirelessly to improve me as a player.

“I had the privilege of learning from people like Maurice Malpas, Gordon Wallace, Jocky Scott, Terry Butcher, Alex Smith, Paul Sturrock, John Blackley, and Tommy McLean. Each of them brought their own unique input and guidance. Maurice, in particular, played a massive role in my development. He would mark me in training, pointing out what I was doing right and wrong, and really took on a mentoring role.

“Dundee United gave me a brilliant grounding in football. The highlights for me were breaking into the first team at a young age and getting the chance to play consistently. It’s so important for a young player to get games under their belt, and I had the opportunity to do that early.

“Back then, you were up against experienced, physical players—men who’d been around the game for years. For instance, one of my first games was against Yogi Hughes, which was a real baptism of fire. Moving from youth football to competing against seasoned pros accelerates your development in a way nothing else can.

“My time at Dundee United was fantastic, and I look back on it very fondly.”

During your time at United, interest arrived from various clubs, and Rangers was one of the clubs that came calling. How did you feel when that interest materialised into a move to Ibrox?

“It was pretty incredible, to be honest. I wasn’t expecting it; it came out of the blue. At the time, I had broken into the Scotland team, which really boosted my profile.

“I remember playing against Rangers at Ibrox, and I managed to score there on three separate occasions while playing for Dundee United. Those performances undoubtedly caught their attention. Alongside my performances for Scotland, it just felt like the natural next step.

“Dundee United were very eager for me to sign a new contract, as my existing deal was due to expire in the summer. But around Christmas, the opportunity to move arose. The deal involved a player swap, with Dundee United receiving Billy Dodds plus some additional money, and I went to Rangers.

“As a young player in Scottish football, when one of the Old Firm clubs comes calling, it’s almost impossible to say no. It’s the pinnacle for most players.”

What was your time at Rangers like overall, especially working with Alex McLeish?

“My time at Rangers was nothing short of extraordinary. I settled in very quickly, which was helped by the fact that there were a lot of young players around the first team and several Scottish players I knew through the national team. That familiarity made the transition much easier.

“I quickly realised I needed to raise my standards because training every day with players like Ronald de Boer, Claudio Caniggia, Mikel Arteta, and Lorenzo Amoruso was on a completely different level. It forced me to elevate my game, and I’m grateful for that challenge.

“Winning two league titles with Rangers was the highlight, especially since both were clinched on the final day of the season. Those moments are the stuff of dreams. Personally, I managed to achieve some important milestones—scoring in an Old Firm game, finding the net in the Champions League, and winning domestic trophies. It was everything I could have hoped for.

“However, all good things come to an end. When Alex McLeish told me my contract wouldn’t be renewed, I knew my time was up. Around the same time, Rangers were signing Kris Boyd, and the competition for places was already intense with players like Shota Arveladze, de Boer, Michael Mols, Dado Pršo, and Nacho Novo in the squad.

“On top of that, my wife was six or seven months pregnant with our first child, Gracie, by December of that year. If I was going to move, I needed to do it quickly. Before we knew it, we were in Cardiff, looking for hospitals and a new house.

“Moving to Cardiff was a big adjustment—culturally and professionally. We lived in a lovely village called Penarth by the sea and met some wonderful people.

“Football-wise, it probably wasn’t the best period of my career, but we absolutely loved living there and meeting the people we did. I think when you leave Rangers, you know you’re unlikely to move to a bigger club. If you do, you’ve done exceptionally well.

“At the time, Cardiff was still playing at Ninian Park, and the training facilities weren’t great. It was a real step down, going from the incredible facilities and European football at Rangers to grafting in the English Championship. It was a bit of a culture shock.

“The biggest adjustment for me was the physicality. In Scotland, you’d come up against a big, strong defender every now and then, but in the Championship, it was every week—playing against absolute beasts, six-foot-four centre-halves. I realised pretty quickly that I needed to develop my strength to keep up. That physicality was a big eye-opener for me.”

As a forward player, what was it like training and playing alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Robbie Fowler at Cardiff?

“Two absolutely great guys—really, really good lads. It was fantastic to watch them in training. Robbie, of course, was one of the most natural finishers in the history of English football. His finishing ability was phenomenal, even in training.

“You could tell Robbie was nearing the end of his career, but Jimmy still had a lot left in him. He was fit, still had a burst of pace, and only needed half a yard to get his shot away—usually that trademark low-driven strike. Watching how they trained and played was a privilege.

“They were both brilliant in helping me settle in. Robbie, for example, on his first day, took the whole team out for dinner in Cardiff. He picked up the tab, which must have been over a grand, and immediately you knew he was a top man. Robbie was also hilarious, as you’d imagine.

“It was great playing alongside them, as well as Trevor Sinclair, who was there at the same time. On top of that, Cardiff had some exceptional young talent coming through—Joe Ledley, Aaron Ramsey, and Kasper Schmeichel, who was with us for a spell. I met some brilliant people during that time, but from a footballing perspective, it just didn’t click for me. Sometimes that happens in your career.”

When you joined Burnley, Owen Coyle was in charge. What was it like winning promotion to the Premier League and playing at that level?

“When I left Cardiff, I knew my time there was coming to an end. Despite that, I actually started the first game of the season for them, playing up front with Ross McCormack, and I scored.

“Burnley had come in for me, and Owen Coyle phoned me personally to say how much he wanted me at the club. I thought, ‘Do you know what? It’s closer to home—Manchester’s not too far from Glasgow.’

“When I first turned up, Burnley wasn’t in the best shape as a club. The stadium hadn’t been developed yet, the training ground was very basic, and the squad was tiny. It was a far cry from what I was used to. But I integrated quickly. I already knew players like Stephen Caldwell and Graeme Alexander, so that helped.

“When I joined, we were about four or five games into the season and near the bottom of the Championship. I thought, ‘This could be a tough year.’ But despite having such a small squad, we managed to avoid any major injuries, which was key.

“We had a really good mix of talent. There were standout individual players like Martin Paterson, Robbie Blake, Wade Elliott, and Chris Eagles, who could create magic out of nothing. Alongside them, we had a core of experienced pros who were tough, aggressive, and knew how to grind out results. That combination worked perfectly for us.

“We started building momentum, and before we knew it, we were heading toward promotion. Winning that promotion and getting the chance to play in the Premier League was incredible—a dream come true.”

“Coyley was such a brilliant man-manager. He really got the best out of me. You always felt that he cared about you, and that was brilliant.

“The team itself had such a great mix of people, and we just got this head of steam up. We were in and around the playoffs, and when we got to the playoffs, there was just this feeling that we could win it. We played Reading over two legs in the semi-final, and I managed to score one of the best goals of my career in that tie.

“The next thing you know, we’re off to Wembley to play in the playoff final, which is one of the biggest games in football. It was against Sheffield United, and it was just a phenomenal day. I started the match, and we won the game 1–0.

“From signing for the club eight months earlier and thinking, ‘This is going to be a grind,’ to winning the playoff final and going to the Premier League—it was surreal. I’ve been very fortunate throughout my career to have these moments, and Burnley was another of those.

“But then Coyley left pretty quickly to go to Bolton. We had, by far, the smallest budget in the Premier League, and it was always going to be a struggle. We managed to scrape together some wins, but the experience of playing against top players, visiting the best stadiums, and competing at the elite level was just amazing.

“Obviously, we got relegated, and I had another season in the Championship. That’s when Eddie Howe came in and made it clear he wanted to reduce the age of the squad. By that point, I was 31, and with my daughter nearing primary school age, we decided it was time to move back up north.

“St Mirren was my first choice, and thankfully Danny Lennon was open to me joining. It was brilliant for me because I grew up as a St Mirren supporter. Finishing my career at the club I supported as a boy was the perfect ending to a 20-year football career.

“The last year or so, I could tell it was time to hang up my boots—the lads in the dressing room were half my age—but those first three seasons at St Mirren were excellent. I managed to score 15 or 16 goals each year, and then, of course, there was the cup final.

“As much as I’ve been fortunate to win trophies and have amazing experiences throughout my career, winning a trophy with my boyhood club was incomparable. St Mirren doesn’t win trophies often—once every 25 or 30 years—so to achieve that was incredible.”

“It was a huge surprise to ever be involved in the Scotland squad. It happened when I was quite young, and Bertie Vogts was the manager at the time. I got on really well with Bertie. Tommy Burns was his assistant, which was brilliant because Tommy was such a great guy.

“My last cap was against Moldova. I managed to score in that game, but it ended 1–1. At the time, I never thought that would be my last cap. I must have been about 25, so I presumed there would be more to come.

“When I was at Burnley, George Burley wanted me to join the squad because I was having a great season. Unfortunately, I got caught in a tackle, damaged my ankle ligaments, and was out for eight weeks. That put an end to that opportunity, and I never got back into the squad after that.

“Playing for Scotland was an incredible honour—just being involved in international matches was amazing. We came close to qualifying for major tournaments, like the campaign where we beat Holland at home but didn’t do so well away.

“You don’t take it for granted, but when you’re in the squad, you assume it’ll last. Then, before you know it, it’s over. You’ve got to treasure every cap and treat each one like it’s your last because you never know when that moment will come.”

Finally, Steven, how does it feel to be Scotland’s answer to Gary Lineker, given your punditry and presenting success hosting Sportscene on BBC Scotland?

“When I finished playing, I’d done my coaching badges and thought I might try to become a football manager. But the BBC were brilliant—they approached me to work as a pundit, and I just sort of fell into it.

“I never thought I’d become a TV presenter, but the BBC saw something in me and gave me the chance. It was a steep learning curve. Hosting a show, with people talking in your ear and everything else going on, was nerve-wracking at first. But I’ve now been doing Sportscene for over four years, and I’ve grown into the role.

“Presenting is very different from punditry. There’s a lot more preparation involved, and it’s mentally taxing while the show is on. But I really enjoy it, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

“Looking back, it’s funny how life works out. Out of nowhere, I’m presenting sports on TV, and I absolutely love it. The live games, the Scottish Cup—it’s been phenomenal. I never imagined this would be my career after football, but now I couldn’t think of doing anything else.”