Alex Rae (footballer, born 1969)

Alex Rae

File:Alex Rae.jpg Rae during the Jody Craddock Testimonial in May 2014
Personal information
Full name	Alexander Scott Rae
Date of birth	(1969-09-30) 30 September 1969
Place of birth	Glasgow, Scotland
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder (retired)
Team information
Current team	St. Mirren (manager)
Youth career
	Rangers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1987–1990	Falkirk	83	(20)
1990–1996	Millwall	218	(63)
1996–2001	Sunderland	114	(12)
2001–2004	Wolverhampton Wanderers	107	(15)
2004–2006	Rangers	34	(1)
2006–2008	Dundee	26	(3)
2009–2010	Milton Keynes Dons	3	(0)
Total		585	(114)
International career
1990–1992	Scotland U21	9	(3)
Managerial career
2006–2008	Dundee
2015–	St. Mirren
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alexander Scott "Alex" Rae (born 30 September 1969 in Glasgow) is a Scottish former professional footballer, who is the current manager of Scottish Championship club St. Mirren.

He began his youth career at Rangers and started his senior career at Falkirk. During his footballer career, Alex Rae played for Millwall, Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rangers, Dundee, Milton Keynes Dons. Back from rehab clinic for alcoholism in 1998, he was with Sunderland and played regularly in the top flight until September 2001. He then joined Wolverhampton Wanderers, and quickly became the key player in the team, winning the fans' player of the season award. In 2002, he helped the team back into the Premier League, and had his best seasonal tally with 8 goals. He then went back to Scotland, joined Rangers where he started his youth career in May 2004, and won the league title in his first season. He was first assigned as player-manager of Dundee on 24 May 2006. He led the club to third place in the First Division in his first season and took them a place higher in his second. He stopped his career as a footballer during the 2008–09 season and went to Sweden as part of his work towards a UEFA Pro Licence. After retiring, he became player-manager of Dundee.

Career

Playing career

Rae started his career as a youngster at boyhood heroes Rangers but was rejected by boss Graeme Souness. He dropped down to junior leagues with Bishopbriggs before he joined Falkirk and enjoyed a successful two years before heading south to sign for Millwall in 1990 for £100,000.

He made his Millwall debut on 25 August 1990. His form for Millwall earned him a big money move to Premier League Sunderland for £1 million in 1996, where he established himself as a crowd-pleasing, combative midfielder. His career took a downturn though, as he descended into alcoholism, leading to him attending a rehab clinic during 1998. He stayed sober after this treatment and further rehabilitation, and later became a patron for the Sporting Chance clinic.

Back on the field, he won promotion as champions back to the Premier League with Sunderland in 1998–99 and played regularly in the top flight. By 2001, he had dropped out of manager Peter Reid's plans and was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 2001, for £1.2 million.

He quickly became an important player for Wolves, winning the fans' player of the season award in his first campaign. The following year, he helped them back into the Premier League when they won the play-offs in 2003. He had a strong year in the top flight, finishing as the club's leading scorer with eight goals – his best-ever seasonal tally – but could not prevent the club's relegation.

Rae re-signed for Rangers in May 2004, and won the league title in his first season, scoring once in the process against Dunfermline. He only featured 12 times in his second season, however, and was later released by the club.

Coaching career

He was appointed as player-manager of Dundee on 24 May 2006. He led the club to third place in the First Division in his first season and took them a place higher in his second. He gave up playing for the 2008–09 season but was sacked on 20 October 2008 with the team in eighth place in the league. Following this, Rae travelled to Sweden as part of his work towards a UEFA Pro Licence.

In July 2009 he joined MK Dons, on a temporary basis with a view to a permanent deal, as first team coach working under his former Wolves teammate Paul Ince.

In 2010, Rae made a return to competitive football to cover for injuries. On 29 October 2010, Rae joined Notts County as assistant manager until he left the club following the departure of manager Paul Ince on 3 April 2011.

In February 2013, Rae joined Blackpool, once again with Paul Ince. The season finished with Blackpool in 15th place.

On 21 January 2014, along with Paul Ince, Rae's Blackpool contract was terminated and he left the club. In August 2014 he became assistant manager at Belgian club KRC Genk, working with Alex McLeish.

Rae was appointed as manager of Scottish Championship side St. Mirren in December 2015, after former manager Ian Murray resigned.

Managerial statistics

As of match played on 8 January 2016

Team	From	To	Record
			G	W	D	L	Win %
Dundee	24 May 2006	20 October 2008	97	42	22	33	43.30
St. Mirren	18 December 2015	Present	4	2	0	2	50.00
Total			101	44	22	35	43.56

Honours

Club

Sunderland

• Football League First Division (1): 1998–99 (second tier)

Wolverhampton Wanderers

• Football League First Division play-offs (1): 2002–03 (promotion to first tier)

Rangers

• Scottish Premier League (1): 2004–05
• Scottish League Cup (1): 2004–05

External links

• Alex Rae career statistics at Soccerbase
• Alex Rae management career statistics at Soccerbase