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Derek Parlane

b. 1953

Scottish footballer (born 1953)

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About Derek Parlane

Born 1953. Derek Parlane is a British association football player.

Derek James Parlane (born 5 May 1953) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a striker for Rangers from 1970 until 1980, and also played in England with clubs including Leeds United and Manchester City.

Career Rangers and Leeds United Raised in the small village of Rhu, Parlane joined Rangers as a teenager, from Queens Park following in the footsteps of his father Jimmy who had a spell with the club in the 1940s. He made 300 appearances winning three Scottish League championships, three Scottish Cups, three Scottish League Cups and the 1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup; he was capped by Scotland 12 times (with one Under-21 cap). Furthermore, Parlane was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2010.

He moved to Leeds United in March 1980 for a fee of £160,000. He scored 10 goals in 53 appearances for Leeds before going to Hong Kong on loan to Bulova.

Manchester City and later career Aged 30, on 14 July 1983, new Manchester City manager Billy McNeill brought Parlane to Maine Road on a free transfer He linked up with another newcomer, fellow Scot Jim Tolmie, and both made their debut for the Blues on Saturday 27 August 1983 in a 2-0 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the Second Division. Parlane and May each scored one which set a precedent for the rest of the season. In all, Parlane scored 20 goals in 48 appearances for City.

For 1984–85 season did City signed David Phillips from Coventry City and Tony Cunningham from Newcastle United to bolster their attack. Parlane got injured in September 1984 and was sold to Swansea City in January 1985.

He spent the 1985–86 season in Belgium with Racing Jet, before returning to play two seasons with Rochdale from 1986 to 1988, playing 42 games and scoring 10 times. His last professional club was Airdrie in the 1987–88 season, he scored 4 goals in 9 games, before signing for then non-league outfit Macclesfield Town in England.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Hermitage Academy
Also known as
Derek James Parlane

People in Derek Parlane's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Derek Parlane's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Derek Parlane?

Scottish footballer (born 1953)

When was Derek Parlane born?

Derek Parlane was born on 5 May 1953 in Helensburgh.

What is Derek Parlane's occupation?

Derek Parlane is an association football player.

What nationality is Derek Parlane?

Derek Parlane is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Derek Parlane

· Wikidata: Q5262254

· DBpedia: Derek Parlane

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Derek Parlane. https://biography.guide/derek-parlane/

MLA: "Derek Parlane." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/derek-parlane/.

Chicago: "Derek Parlane." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/derek-parlane/.

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