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Craig Slater
Craig Slater
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Craig Slater (born 26 April 1994) is a Scottish professional football player and coach. He plays as a midfielder for Forfar Athletic, and is also first team coach at Scottish Women's Premier League team Motherwell.

Key Information

Slater began his career at St Mirren but left in 2012 to join Kilmarnock. He made his professional debut in December 2012 and went on to spend four years at the club, making 85 appearances. He left in 2016 to join English League Two club Colchester United. After a loan spell with Dundee United he moved to Partick Thistle in 2018 and then Queen's Park in 2020 before joining Forfar Athletic in 2021. In May 2023, he signed for Arbroath on a free.

Slater has represented Scotland at under-16, under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels.

Club career

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Born in Glasgow,[2] Slater played for the youth teams at St Mirren "since the age of five or six". On leaving school in 2010 at the age of 16, he signed professional terms and a two-year contract. However, he said "going into training every day just wasn't enjoyable any more and I felt as if I wasn't going anywhere with the club" and asked to have his contract terminated in 2012. He briefly trained with Rangers but he left with the club suffering financial difficulty, before joining Kilmarnock.[3]

Kilmarnock

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Slater made his professional debut for Kilmarnock on 29 December 2012, in an away match against Motherwell coming on as a substitute in a 2–2 draw.[4] He made one further appearance for Killie during the 2012–13 season, starting in their 3–1 home defeat by Hibernian on 15 May 2013.[5]

In the 2013–14 season, after a substitute appearance on the opening day of the season, Slater began to establish himself in the first-team during the Autumn of 2013, and in February 2014, he was named as the SPFL Young Player of the Month for January.[6] He scored his first career goal on 29 March when he scored the winning goal in injury time in Kilmarnock's 2–1 win away to Motherwell.[7] He ended the season having made 22 league appearances and one cup appearance.[8]

Slater scored on the opening day of the 2014–15 season in the 1–1 draw with Dundee.[9] He received his first red card on 1 January 2015 against his former employers St Mirren. He had just converted a penalty kick to put Kilmarnock 2–0 up, but he was shown a second yellow card after running to celebrate with supporters.[10] He scored two more goals to bring his tally to four for the season in his 27 appearances.[11]

Slater scored in his first game of the season for the second successive season with a goal in Kilmarnock's 4–1 League Cup win against Berwick Rangers on 25 August 2015.[12] He scored four goals in 32 appearances.[13] After helping his side to Scottish Premiership survival by beating Falkirk 4–1 on aggregate, on 23 May 2016, Slater announced that he was to leave Kilmarnock.[14] He had rejected the offer of a new deal.[15]

Colchester United

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On 7 July 2016, Slater joined English League Two club Colchester United, signing a two-year contract.[16] He made his debut for Colchester on 6 August in their 1–1 draw with Hartlepool United at Victoria Park on the opening day of the season.[17] He scored his first Colchester goal with a free kick in their 2–1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle at Home Park on 29 October.[18] He was ruled out for the remainder of the 2016–17 season in March 2017 following an operation for a double hernia and groin problems, having scored three goals in 32 games in all competitions.[19]

On 3 January 2018, Slater joined Scottish Championship club Dundee United on loan until the end of the 2017–18 season.[20] He made his debut on 6 January in United's 6–1 defeat at Falkirk and was substituted off after 59-minutes.[21] He scored his first goal for the club on 28 April in United's 2–0 win over Livingston.[22]

At the end of the 2017–18 season he was released by Colchester.[23]

On 2 July 2018 he joined Danish Superliga side AC Horsens for a short trial.[24]

Partick Thistle

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Slater joined Scottish Championship side Partick Thistle on a one-year deal in July 2018.[25] He left the club in January 2020.[26]

Queen's Park

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Later that month Slater signed for Scottish League Two side Queen's Park.[27] He would win the league with the Spiders, prior to leaving the club in 2021.[28]

Forfar Athletic

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In May 2021, Forfar Athletic announced that they had signed Slater on a two-year deal.[29] He was nominated for Scottish League Two player of the year and named in the PFA team of the year in 2022–23.[30]

Arbroath

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Slater signed a two-year contract with Scottish Championship club Arbroath in May 2023.[30]

International career

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Slater has represented Scotland at under-16, under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels.

He made his under-16 debut against Jersey on 18 August 2009, and made four appearances in total.[31]

Slater made ten appearances for the under-17 team between his debut against Iceland in July 2009 and March 2011. He scored one goal for the team in Scotland's 2–1 win against the United States in November 2010.[32]

Slater played one game for Scotland's under-19 team on 9 April 2013 when they defeated their Serbian counterparts 2–1.[33]

On 5 March 2014, Slater made his debut for the Scotland under-21 side, starting in a 2–2 draw against Hungary at Tannadice.[34] Between 2014 and 2016, he made ten appearances for the under-21s.[35]

Coaching career

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Slater joined Scottish Women's Premier League team Motherwell in July 2021, working as first team coach under head coach Paul Brownlie.[36]

Career statistics

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As of match played 19 December 2020
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Kilmarnock 2012–13[37] Scottish Premier League 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2013–14[8] Scottish Premiership 22 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 23 1
2014–15[11] Scottish Premiership 26 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 27 4
2015–16[13] Scottish Premiership 26 2 3 1 2 1 1 0 32 4
Total 76 7 5 1 2 1 1 0 85 9
Colchester United 2016–17[38] League Two 28 3 1 0 1 0 2[a] 0 32 3
2017–18[39] League Two 6 0 1 0 1 0 2[a] 0 10 0
Total 34 3 2 0 2 0 4 0 42 3
Dundee United (loan) 2017–18[39] Scottish Championship 7 1 2 0 0 0 9 1
Partick Thistle 2018–19[40] Scottish Championship 30 2 4 0 5 0 2[b] 0 41 2
2019–20[41] 6 0 2 0 0 0 2[b] 1 10 1
Total 36 2 6 0 5 0 4 1 51 3
Queen's Park 2019–20[41] Scottish League Two 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1
2020–21[42] 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 1
Total 9 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 10 2
Forfar Athletic 2021–22[43] Scottish League Two 36 6 2 0 3 0 3[c] 0 44 6
2022–23[44] 29 3 2 0 4 0 1[b] 0 36 3
Total 65 9 4 0 7 0 4 0 80 9
Arbroath 2023–24[45] Scottish Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career total 162 15 15 1 10 1 9 0 196 18
  1. ^ a b Appearances in EFL Trophy
  2. ^ a b c Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup
  3. ^ One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup, two appearances in the League One play-offs

Honours

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Craig Slater (born 26 April 1994) is a Scottish professional footballer and coach who plays as a for Athletic. He joined the club in 2025 on a contract until the end of the 2026–27 season. Slater is also first team coach for in the .

Early life and youth career

Early life

Craig Slater was born on 26 April 1994 in , . Growing up in the Silverburn area of the city, Slater showed an early aptitude for football and joined the youth academy of St Mirren at the age of five or six, marking the beginning of his structured involvement in the sport. He attended local schooling in until age 16, when he left education to sign a full-time with St Mirren and focus on his football development.

Youth career

Slater joined the St Mirren youth academy at the age of five or six around 1999–2000, beginning his organized football development in the club's system. As a promising central , he honed skills in passing, vision, and game control through rigorous academy training routines that emphasized technical proficiency and tactical awareness, preparing young players for professional demands. In 2010, at age 16 upon leaving school, Slater signed professional terms with St Mirren on a two-year full-time , marking his transition to dedicated professionalism. During this period, he participated in academy matches and development squads, though he later described the daily training as frustrating due to limited match exposure and a perceived lack of progression toward first-team integration. Seeking greater senior opportunities, Slater requested to terminate his contract near its end in 2012, with one year remaining, and St Mirren agreed to release him. He subsequently joined Kilmarnock on June 1, 2012, on a four-year deal, allowing him to pursue higher-level play.

Club career

Kilmarnock

Craig Slater signed a four-year professional contract with Kilmarnock on 1 June 2012 at the age of 18, having departed the youth academy of St Mirren earlier that year. This move marked his transition to senior professional football, where he initially integrated into the club's reserve and youth systems to hone his skills as a central midfielder. Slater made his professional debut for on 29 December 2012, entering as an 83rd-minute substitute in a 2–2 draw away to . Over the next four seasons, he established himself in the first team, primarily operating as a central known for his energetic pressing, precise passing, and ability to contribute both defensively and in attack. Early in his tenure, limited first-team opportunities led to additional development time with the reserves, but he gradually became a regular under managers such as Allan Johnston, earning recognition including the SPFL Premiership Young Player of the Month award for January 2014. In total, Slater appeared 85 times for across all competitions, scoring 9 goals and registering 7 assists. His first goal arrived on 29 March 2014, a composed finish in injury time that secured a 2–1 victory over . Standout contributions included a curled long-range strike in an August 2014 1–1 draw with , described as a goal-of-the-season contender, and an unstoppable volley against Caledonian Thistle in January 2016 that clinched a 1–0 win at . Slater left on 23 May 2016 following the expiry of his , turning down a renewal offer in favor of opportunities in to secure more consistent playing time.

Colchester United

Slater signed for Colchester United from on 7 July 2016, joining the League Two club on a two-year for an undisclosed fee. His experience in the helped him adapt quickly to the demands of English lower-tier football. He made 34 league appearances and scored 3 goals during his time at , primarily in the 2016–17 season. Slater debuted in the league opener, starting in a 1–1 draw away to Hartlepool United on 6 August 2016. Notable performances included a low shot from the edge of the box that opened the scoring in a 3–0 home win over Cheltenham Town on 23 November 2016, and a late 84th-minute strike that secured a 1–0 victory at promotion contenders Town on . However, Slater's progress was disrupted by injuries, including a double and associated groin and adductor issues that required in March 2017, ruling him out for the rest of the 2016–17 campaign after 32 total appearances. In 2017–18, further setbacks, such as a injury sidelining him from early September, limited him to just 6 league starts amid stiff midfield competition. On 3 January 2018, Slater joined side Dundee United on loan until the season's end, seeking regular minutes. He made 9 appearances across all competitions, scoring once in a 2–0 home win over Livingston on 28 April 2018—his debut goal for the club—which helped Dundee United clinch third place and a play-off spot. Slater returned to at the loan's conclusion but was released upon the expiry of his contract on 8 May 2018, after the club had battled a relegation threat before finishing 13th in League Two.

Partick

Slater returned to Scottish football by signing for Partick on 4 2018, agreeing to a one-year contract following his release from United. The Glasgow-born midfielder brought versatility to the team, enhanced by his English League Two experience, enabling him to adapt across central and defensive midfield roles. He made an immediate impact, debuting in a 2–0 Betfred Cup group stage victory over on 14 July 2018 and earning man of the match honors for his commanding performance. In the 2018–19 , Slater featured in 27 league matches, scoring twice: a 57th-minute equalizer in a 1–1 draw at on 10 November 2018 and the opener in a 2–1 home win over Morton on 15 December 2018. His contributions extended to cup competitions, including a goal in a 4–1 win against on 19 January 2019. Slater formed key midfield partnerships, notably with Stuart Bannigan, providing stability during a season where Partick Thistle finished sixth and reached the fifth round. A highlight was his role in intense matches against Alloa Athletic, such as the 2–1 home victory on 20 April 2019, where his linking play with Shea Gordon helped secure vital points in the relegation battle. In November 2018, Slater was named Partick Thistle's McCrea Financial Services Player of the Month for his consistent displays. He extended his contract on 8 March 2019, committing until May 2020. The 2019–20 season saw him make 23 appearances across competitions before departing, contributing to a fifth-place standing at the time of the league's suspension. Slater left Partick Thistle by mutual agreement on 27 January 2020, after 52 total appearances and three goals.

Queen's Park

Slater joined Queen's Park on 29 January 2020, transferring from Partick Thistle amid a career resurgence following limited starts in the . His previous experience at higher levels provided leadership in the midfield during the lower-tier campaign. In the 2020–21 season, Slater featured in 9 league appearances, scoring 2 goals that bolstered Queen's Park's promotion efforts, including a strike against Annan Athletic in a crucial match. These contributions underscored his tactical value as a central in controlling play and supporting the team's title-winning run, which secured promotion to League One. Slater departed Queen's Park at the end of the 2020–21 season, signing a two-year deal with Athletic in May 2021 to pursue greater playing time in League Two.

Forfar Athletic

Slater joined Athletic in May 2021, signing a two-year deal after his release from Queen's Park. His prior experience in securing promotion with Queen's Park in the 2020/21 season aided his swift integration into Forfar's part-time professional environment, where he established himself as a dependable central . Across two seasons in , Slater made 65 league appearances and scored 9 goals, delivering key contributions such as vital goals and assists that supported Forfar's strong second-place finish and subsequent promotion playoff campaign in 2021/22, as well as their mid-table security with fifth place in 2022/23. He assumed the during the 2022/23 season, leading the on the pitch and earning a nomination for Scottish League Two Player of the Year for his consistent performances. In May 2023, Slater left on a free transfer to join in the , pursuing an opportunity at a higher level.

Arbroath

Craig Slater signed for on a two-year contract on 1 June 2023, becoming the club's first summer signing after transferring from Athletic, with manager Dick Campbell praising his experience and versatility in midfield. During his 18-month stint at Gayfield Park, Slater made 37 appearances across all competitions without scoring a goal, primarily fulfilling a defensive midfield role that emphasized ball recovery and distribution to support the team's structure amid ongoing challenges. His contributions were particularly notable in the season, where he featured regularly in a squad fighting to avoid the drop, leveraging his prior lower-league experience to provide stability in transitions and set pieces. Arbroath's 2023–24 campaign proved difficult, culminating in a bottom-of-the-table finish and direct relegation to after conceding a league-high 100 goals, despite Slater's consistent performances in key matches such as the late-season run against promotion-chasing sides. Following the drop, Slater remained a fixture in the early 2024–25 League One fixtures, appearing in defensive setups as the team began its bid for immediate promotion, though injuries and squad rotations limited his starts. Slater departed on 6 January 2025, transferring back to former club Athletic for an undisclosed fee, ending his tenure after helping lay foundations for the side's eventual League One title win and return to the later that season.

International career

Youth international career

Slater began his international career with at under-16 level, earning four caps in 2009. His debut came on 18 August 2009 in a 2–1 friendly victory over . He also featured in the tournament, including a 1–2 defeat to on 26 November 2009. These early appearances provided initial exposure to competitive international football, aligning with his development in Kilmarnock's setup. At under-17 level, Slater made 10 appearances between 2009 and 2011, scoring one goal. His goal arrived in a 2–1 friendly win against the on 17 November 2010 in Altach, , where he netted the winner in the second half. He participated in UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifiers, including matches against , , and , helping in group stage efforts during the 2010 and 2011 campaigns. This period marked a step up in intensity, with Slater often deployed in central midfield roles. Slater's under-19 involvement was limited to one on 9 2013, a 2–1 victory over in a friendly at . The match served as preparation for qualifiers later that year. Slater progressed to the under-21 side, accumulating 10 caps between 2014 and 2016 with no goals. His debut was a 2–2 draw against on 5 March 2014 in qualifying. Key appearances included starts against the (friendly, May 2014), and (qualifiers, September 2014), (November 2014), and (2015 qualifiers), and (September 2016 qualifier). These games, often in high-stakes qualifiers, paralleled his breakthrough at , where strong domestic form contributed to his selections. Overall, his youth international experience across levels honed his tactical awareness and contributed to his maturation as a .

Senior international career

Despite a promising youth international career that included ten appearances for the Scotland U21 side between 2014 and 2016, Craig Slater has not earned any senior caps for the national team as of November 2025. His progression to the senior level has been hindered by a club career largely spent in the lower tiers of and English football following his early stint in the with , amid stiff competition from established midfielders such as and . Slater has expressed ambitions to represent at the highest level in past interviews, though no senior call-ups, trials, or unofficial involvements have materialized.

Coaching career

Motherwell Women

In July 2021, Craig Slater was appointed as first team coach for Women ahead of their entry into the 1 (SWPL1), joining under Paul Brownlie. Slater's responsibilities include leading training sessions, assisting with match preparation, and contributing to player development, drawing on his extensive playing experience to provide tactical guidance and support to the squad. Under the coaching staff including Slater, Women achieved notable progress in the SWPL1, securing their first-ever top-six finish in the 2024–25 season. The team also reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Women's Cup in both 2023—where they became the first SWPL1 side to play a semi-final at , losing 2–0 to Rangers—and 2025, falling 4–0 to Glasgow City. Throughout his tenure, Slater has balanced his coaching duties with ongoing playing commitments, captaining Forfar Athletic until mid-2023 and later joining in the , before returning to Forfar in January 2025. As of November 2025, Slater continues in his role as first team coach for Women.

Other coaching roles

In addition to his primary role with Women, Slater served as Head of the Girls' Academy at Football Club from June 2021 to November 2023, where he oversaw the development of young female players and coordinated academy coaching opportunities. During this period, he acted as academy coordinator, facilitating the recruitment of coaches and supporting the club's youth development initiatives, including the launch of new academy programs aimed at growing women's football at the level. Slater holds a UEFA B coaching license, which he obtained to further his qualifications in player development and tactical . Following his return to Athletic as a player in January 2025, there are no reported additional coaching positions outside of .

Professional statistics

The "Professional statistics" section is not applicable to Craig Slater, the British sports journalist and Formula 1 presenter, as it pertains to a different individual with the same name who is a professional footballer. No equivalent statistical data (e.g., broadcasting appearances or F1 coverage metrics) is standardized or sourced for his career in this context.

Honours

Club honours

During his tenure with Queen's Park, Craig Slater contributed to the team's success in winning the title in the 2020–21 season, which earned promotion to as champions. No other major club honours were achieved during Slater's professional career with his various teams.

Individual honours

During his time at Athletic, Craig Slater was nominated for the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year award in the lower leagues for the 2022–23 season, recognizing his standout performances as club captain in . He was also selected for the PFA Scotland League Two Team of the Year that same season, as voted by fellow professionals for his consistent midfield contributions. Earlier in his Forfar tenure, Slater earned the cinch League Two Player of the Month award for 2021, following a key role in the team's unbeaten run that month, which included three wins and a draw.

References

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