Two of our Former Player members have been in the news for their achievements recently…. Congratulations are in order from CCFPA to both Gavin Strachan and Viktor Gyökeres!
Gavin Strachan in the Sky Blue
A little belatedly we should offer our best wishes to Sky Blues former young midfielder from 1997-2003 Gavin Strachan for contributing to the success of Glasgow Celtic in the season just completed! The 47 year old is the son of CCFC’s then player-manager, Scottish International (and now fellow CCFPA member Gordon Strachan). He has also partnered his dad in the successful Strachan Football Academy locally for many years.
Gavin in Sky Blue action
Gavin started his footballing journey with the Sky Blues and though used sparingly as a back-up player clocked up 23 Sky Blue appearances (netting once -a penalty) over four Premier League and two Championship seasons before moving to Southend United on a free in 2003. He had also been out on loan with Dundee (1999) and Motherwell (2002) in his native Scotland and back in England at Peterborough United (2003) to further develop his skills. He also picked up 8 Scotland U21 caps whilst with CCFC.
Gavin Strachan (Celtic 1st team coach) 2025-26
Gavin’s professional career continued with Hartlepool United (2003), Stockport County (loan 2005), Peterborough (2007) and Notts. County (2008) winding down with stints at Corby Town (2009), Hinckley United (2011) and St Neots Town (2011) before moving into coaching and management. Prior to his attachment to Celtic as their first team coach from 2020 Gavin managed Ilkeston Town (2014) and assisted at Doncaster Rovers (2015) and Peterborough United (2018). Now Gavin has helped pilot Celtic very recently to their fifth successive Scottish Premier League title and their third successive League and Scottish Cup double! Congrats Gavin!
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Viktor Gyokeres in the Sky Blue
We have already congratulated our member former Sky Blue striker ‘Vik’ on his contribution to Arsenal winning the English Premier League title in 2025-26 recently parading through north London with his colleagues on an open top bus to their Emirates stadium. Now 28 years old, on the international stage, Viktor Gyökeres has continued where he left off in the domestic season by netting in his country Sweden‘s final warm-up game before the 2026 World Cup netting his 20th Swedish goal in just 33 internationals since making his debut in 2019. ‘Vik’ again showed off his prowess from dead ball, curling home a 56th minute free-kick to equalise against opponents Greece in Stockholm. The game finished 2-2 after the Sweden went into the lead but Greece got a 95th minute equaliser.
Viktor in Sky Blue action
Starting in his homeland off as a youth in 2004 with IFK Aspudden-Tellus then IF Brommapojkarna (2013) ‘Vik’ tried his luck with Premier League Brighton in 2018 but only featured for the first team in three non representative games being successively loaned out for seasons at FC St Pauli in Germany (2018), Swansea City in Wales (2019) and then CCFC (January 2021) then in the Championship. Three goals in his 19 appearances that season encouraged the Sky Blues to make an offer and Vik became a Sky Blue for the next two seasons scoring regularly and often spectacularly to end up with an impressive total of 40 goals in 97 Sky Blue games. Sporting CP (Lisbon) took the striker to Portugal for 24 million Euros as Vik further improved his European goalscoring credentials with 97 goals in only 102 games over two seasons with the Primeira Liga club.
Vik continues his goalscoring symbolism with the Gunners
This sort of form prompted the Gunners to fork out £65m for him to take Vik to the Emirates (earning CCFC further substantial commission). The signing has clearly paid off for the north London club with the striker (albeit after a slow start) finishing with 21 goals in 55 games in his first season for the new Premier League Champs. Congrats Vik and the newly promoted Championship winning Sky Blues will look forward to meeting you and the Gunners home and away in the Premier League next season!
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