This article lists all the captains of the men's Scotland national football team. As of 3 October 2026, Scotland have played 859 officially recognised international matches and have had 156 different team captains. Andy Robertson has captained Scotland most often, in 78 games. Four other players (George Young, Billy Bremner, Darren Fletcher and Gary McAllister) have captained the team at least 30 times.
The first captain of the Scotland team was Robert Gardner, who led the team in the first ever international match, against England on 30 November 1872. He went on to captain Scotland on just one further occasion, the second international match, on 8 March 1873, against the same opposition.
List of captains Key *Still active for the national teamCaps as captainAppearances made while captainTotal capsTotal number of appearances made
PlayerScotland careerCaps as captainTotal capsFirst captaincyLast captaincy1872–187825 1872–1874 1 3 1872–1876 2 6 1874–1886 8 13 1876–1880 2 5 1877–1879 1 5 1878–1881 1 5 1881–1882 2 3 1880–1882 1 2 1882–1883 2 3 1883–1893 3 14 1883–1886 2 5 1879–1885 1 8 1886 1 1 1887–1888 1 2 1882–1887 2 9 1887–1893 2 6 1888 1 1 1888 1 1 1889–1892 3 4 1889 1 2 1880–1891 2 7 1888–1893 1 5 1888–1890 1 3 1891–1892 1 2 1885–1893 1 9 1891–1895 2 5 1888–1896 4 8 1892–1894 1 2 1892–1898 1 8 1892–1903 4 14 1889–1897 1 3 1896 1 1 1897 1 1 1892–1897 1 9 1898 1 1 1885–1898 1 7 1896–1898 1 3 1897–1902 2 12 1899 1 3 1899–1911 2 11 1899–1900 1 2 1898–1905 5 16 1902 1 2 1893–1903 1 12 1901–1911 2 14 1900–1907 4 8 1904–1909 1 5 1904–1907 1 6 1895–1905 1 14 1904–1914 13 21 1909 2 2 1905–1914 3 11 1905–1911 1 8 1906–1920 5 15 1911–1913 1 4 1913–1914 1 2 1912–1920 1 10 1920–1923 3 5 1920–1922 1 8 1920–1923 1 12 Jack Marshall also represented the United States. 1921–1924 2 7 1920–1927 1 12 1920–1924 3 8 1923–1928 1 10 1920–1929 6 16 1923–1925 3 6 1925 1 1 1921–1928 5 13 1922–1929 1 8 1927–1930 4 8 1922–1933 6 15 1929–1932 4 9 1926–1933 3 4 1920–1932 1 31 1928–1932 1 8 1931 1 2 1929–1932 1 3 1933–1934 1 6 1933–1938 4 23 1931–1937 2 18 1934–1937 13 14 1930–1938 2 19 1938–1939 1 3 1939 1 1 1946–1947 6 6 1946–1947 1 2 1946–1948 1 9 1947–1952 1 24 1946–1957 48 54 1948–1954 1 25 1951–1959 8 25 1954–1955 5 8 1946–1957 2 19 1955–1958 4 24 1948–1960 12 48 1957–1965 7 22 1957–1963 15 40 1958–1974 5 55 1961–1972 8 29 1960–1967 4 34 1964–1975 15 44 1961–1967 1 12 1967–1968 4 7 1965–1975 39 54 1963–1971 1 9 1968–1972 7 16 1966–1974 3 16 1970–1974 2 27 1970–1979 9 38 1974–1981 1 30 1971–1978 2 34 1971–1978 1 22 1971–1981 23 43 1971–1986 6 102 1975–1978 10 24 1976–1978 2 17 1973–1982 10 62 1972–1982 3 50 1974–1986 27 54 1979–1983 1 8 1975–1989 11 65 1979–1991 27 57 1980–1993 8 77 1982–1998 4 91 1983–1997 7 76 1984–1992 2 55 1983–1993 8 61 1980–1992 5 50 1990–1994 1 16 1990–1999 32 57 1986–1998 1 61 1993–2001 22 51 1990–2001 6 72 1995–2003 17 40 1988–2001 1 53 1995–2003 1 46 1997–2008 12 66 1998–2009 28 45 2004–2017 34 80 2000–2006 1 32 1996–2005 1 33 1997–2010 4 68 2006–2010 8 26 2001–2013 5 67 2002–2013 7 55 2005–2017 25 55 2008–2017 1 46 * 2016– 1 58 2012–2019 4 44 * 2018– 1 54 * 2014– 78 100 2017–2024 1 63 2007–2019 2 51 * 2016– 9 92 * 2018– 1 73 Statistics include official FIFA recognised matches, five matches from a 1967 overseas tour that were reclassified as full internationals in 2021, and a match against a Hong Kong League XI played on 23 May 2002 that the Scottish Football Association includes in its statistical totals.
Unofficial games The above list considers captains selected for games officially recognised by FIFA and the Scottish Football Association. In addition to these, there have been a number of games played by Scotland teams on an unofficial basis, for example the "wartime internationals" during the Second World War. Some of the captains selected for these unofficial games are listed below.
Jimmy Brownlie Jimmy Gordon Tom Smith Matt Busby Bill Shankly Tommy Walker Jock Shaw George Young
Notes
References
External links Scotland captains by date, London Hearts Supporters' Club