January 6, 2023
Wollongong Wolves Football Club is delighted to announce the new signing of Scottish midfielder, Chris McStay for the 2023 NPL season.
McStay – the son of Celtic legend Paul – was originally only meant to be in Australia for two weeks when he moved to the Shire in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, McStay has now been here for three years.
McStay, a 26-year-old central midfielder, joins the Wolves from fellow NPL club Rockdale Suns. After stints with Sutherland and Rockdale, McStay said he finally felt as though he was at the right spot with the Wolves and has plenty to offer the side.
“Wollongong Wolves are a famous club in Australia and I jumped at the opportunity to join them. I had a great conversation with Carney to begin with. I got along with him very well which I think is important. But looking at the career he has had and the levels that he’s played at, you want to learn off people like that” McStay said.
McStay added “I’m a very forward thinking player. I like to link the front to the back as a centre-mid. I’m an out-and-out number eight, box-to-box type of player. I think I can bring that drive to the team and help push the team forward and help link up the quality that we have at the back at the moment and also upfront.”
Chris’ father Paul played over 500 times for Scottish Premier League powerhouses Celtic, scoring 57 goals and also has 76 appearances for the Scottish national team between the mid 80s and 90s. Chris said he had learnt a lot from his father over the years and that this would continue during his stint with the Wolves.
“If I could lace one of his boots I would be over the moon. Obviously having my dad play at the level at which he did and the standard of which he did with his advice and his expertise has gone a long way with me. I’ve learnt a lot from him over the years and I mean that was a big part in me moving to Wolves, when you’ve got the likes of David Carney that you can still learn a lot from” McStay concluded.
Coach Carney was excited by the signing of Chris McStay “He is a class player who will add a lot of experience for us in midfield. He is a box to box player who has plenty of energy and great vision. He will be the critical link between our defence and attack which is a critical position for any team” Carney said.
