Rab Douglas

Robert James Douglas (born 24 April 1972) is a Scottish former professional footballer and current coach for Arbroath who played as a goalkeeper.

He played for several clubs, including Livingston, Dundee, Celtic, Leicester City and Forfar Athletic.

He began his professional career in 1993 when he signed for Scottish Second Division side Meadowbank Thistle.

Meadowbank Thistle were relegated to the Third Division at the end of 1993–94, and in 1995 relocated to Livingston and changed their name accordingly.

By this time, Douglas had become their first-choice goalkeeper.

The re-branded club had a successful first season and won promotion to the Second Division.

In the summer of 1997, Scottish First Division side Dundee signed Douglas.

He was an ever-present in the side as Dundee won the 1997–98 Scottish First Division and gained promotion to the Scottish Premier League.

Dundee also had a good run in the 1997–98 Scottish Cup, and Douglas kept a clean sheet in the quarter-final tie at Ibrox as Dundee held Rangers to a 0–0 draw.

Dundee, however, lost the replay 2–0.

In November 1999 he saved a Jörg Albertz penalty as Dundee won 2–1 against Rangers at Ibrox.

He continued as Dundee's first-choice goalkeeper into season 2000–01.

Douglas joined Celtic from Dundee in 2000 and soon became first-choice goalkeeper at the club, displacing Jonathan Gould.

He won the Scottish Premier League (SPL) title and the Scottish Cup in his first season at the club, but was cup-tied for their victorious 2000–01 Scottish League Cup campaign.

The following season saw Douglas win a second SPL title.

He also won praise for an outstanding performance against Valencia in the away leg of a UEFA Cup tie during November 2001, and won the SPL Player of the Month Award that same month.

He also represented Scotland at international level, playing 19 times between 2002 and 2005.

Douglas' form was generally good at Celtic, but he had the misfortune of conceding 'soft' goals in high-profile games, notably in the 3–3 draw against Rangers in October 2002 where he was badly at fault for Rangers first goal and considered to be at fault for their third also.

Douglas was part of the Celtic side that reached the 2003 UEFA Cup Final, under the management of Martin O'Neill.

He was a member of the team that reached the 2003 UEFA Cup Final against F.C. Porto, playing well in the games leading up the final, but considered culpable by many fans for at least one of Porto's goals in Seville.

During the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons he faced stiff competition from Swedish international Magnus Hedman and youngster David Marshall.

He missed the 2004 Scottish Cup Final through injury.

Another high-profile blunder against Rangers in 2005 led to increased speculation about his future.

At the end of the season, Douglas was told by manager Martin O'Neill that he would not be first choice for next season.

Douglas decided that he wanted to test himself in England, rather than sit on the bench, and joined Leicester City on a free transfer.

His future at the Walkers Stadium was under threat after being replaced late in the 2005–06 season by Paul Henderson and promising performances by former youth academy goalkeeper Conrad Logan.

Therefore, on 7 June 2007, Douglas was placed on the transfer list alongside Mark de Vries and Alan Maybury.

Douglas was linked with newly promoted Scottish Premier League side Gretna before handed a trial spell at Motherwell (his boyhood club) on 21 August, but was unable to agree a deal with the club.

The move was soon closed, but failed to do so on the last day of the transfer window.

On 14 September 2007, Douglas joined Millwall on an emergency four-week loan, making his debut in a 2–1 defeat to Walsall on 15 September.

On 23 October, he joined Wycombe Wanderers on a three-month loan deal, making three appearances.

At the first, the loan spell was for three months, before it's changed to the end of the season.

Having made two appearances, Douglas loan spell ended over personal reasons on 12 December 2007.

On 14 March 2008, Douglas joined Plymouth Argyle on a week's emergency loan as cover for the suspended Luke McCormick, making his only appearance in a 2–1 away win over Bristol City on 15 March 2008.

On 15 May, he was released by Leicester as his contract was close to expiring and later joined former club Dundee on a free transfer.

Douglas joined Dundee, for the second time of his career, in 2008.

He played against his former club, Celtic, in the fourth round of the 2008–09 Scottish Cup.

The match finished with Dundee losing 2–1.

In 2017, Douglas was inducted into the Dundee FC Hall of Fame.

Douglas was born in Lanark.