Most capped Scotland players ever

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish is Scotland's all-time record appearance maker, turning out 102 times for his country.

Dalglish is the only Scotland international to have reached a century of caps, with former Aberdeen, Manchester United and Hibernian goalkeeper Jim Leighton second in the standings on 91.

We take a look at the record books to document the most capped male Scotland players of all time.

Most capped male Scotland players ever

1 - Kenny Dalglish - 102

Having burst onto the scene with Celtic that season, Kenny Dalglish made his Scotland debut in 1971 with his first goal coming the following year.

Dalglish would go on to appear in three consecutive World Cups between 1974 and 1982, becoming the first - and to date only - player to clear 100 caps for Scotland.

2 - Jim Leighton - 91

Jim Leighton's exploits under Alex Ferguson for Aberdeen would earn him his first Scotland caps as well as a move south of the border to reunite with Ferguson after his appointment as Manchester United manager.

Leighton memorably lost his place as United's number one after being dropped for the FA Cup final replay, and would also lose his place as Scotland's number one as a result.

Leighton would get the gloves back later in his career, however, having moved to Hibernian in 1993.

3 - Andy Robertson - 81

Unquestionably one of the best left-backs in the world for a number of years, Andy Robertson has amassed 81 caps for the national side.

Although his best years are perhaps behind him, there's still plenty of time for Robertson to move up a couple of spots on the list, and it's not impossible he ends up topping Dalglish before his career's over.

4 - Darren Fletcher - 80

Darren Fletcher would make his Scotland debut after breaking through at Manchester United back in 2003, and while it took the Old Trafford faithful some time to warm to the midfielder, he'd go on to play a crucial role at the club as they re-established themselves as England's top dogs.

Although illness hampered Fletcher in his later years, denying him more caps, he still went on to captain his country, going on to pick up the second most caps of any outfield player in Scotland's history.

5 - Craig Gordon - 80

Having broken through with Hearts, Craig Gordon caught not just the eye of the national team, but that of Premier League clubs.

Establishing himself as Scotland's number one, Gordon earned a move to the Premier League side Sunderland, but injuries saw him eventually lose his place at both club and international level.

In regaining his place, Gordon would go on to officially have the longest Scotland career in history, and still turning out for the Tartan Army in 2024 has seen Gordon crack the top five in all-time appearances.

6 - Alex McLeish - 77

A part of the hugely successful Aberdeen side of the 1980s that won three league titles, four Scottish Cups and the European Cup Winners' Cup, Alex McLeish would also go on to be a crucial part of the national side.

McLeish's career spanned 13 years as he would go on to appear at three World Cups.

7 - Paul McStay - 76

A one-club man, Paul McStay would spend his entire career with Celtic, leading teams out not just at club level but international level, too.

McStay would play in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups as well as the 1988 European Championship, but missed out on the 1992 edition through injury.

8 - Tom Boyd - 72

Despite not making his international debut until shortly before his 25th birthday, Tom Boyd still amassed enough caps over his career to crack Scotland's top 10.

Spending his entire career - bar one underwhelming season at Chelsea - in Scotland, Boyd's time was split between Motherwell and Celtic, with the full-back featuring at three international tournaments.

8 - John McGinn - 73

So impressive was John McGinn for Hibernian that he made his Scotland debut while playing in the country's second tier. While Hibs would get promoted that season, McGinn would shortly make the move to England's second tier to join Aston Villa, who were also quickly promoted to the top flight.

McGinn has established himself as a regular at Villa Park since his move there in 2018, and has plenty of time on his side to move up the list of Scotland's most-capped players.

10 - Kenny Miller - 69

One of the few players in history to have played for both Celtic and Rangers, and the only player since the 1800s to have done it twice, Kenny Miller's career took him to the English Premier League, the United States, and even Turkey for a brief period.

A Scotland regular for a decade, Miller also finds himself in the country's top 10 goalscorers.

10 - David Weir - 69

The evergreen David Weir made his debut for Scotland after a move to Hearts in the mid-1990s, before embarking on a successful move to Everton where he'd be named captain under two different managers.

Weir would eventually return to Scotland, joining Rangers and still playing UEFA Champions League football in his 40s.

Weir also played for Scotland as a 40-year-old, breaking the record as the country's oldest ever player (since broken by Craig Gordon).

*Stats correct as of 18th November 2024.