By joining St Mirren on a season-long loan, Calvin Ramsay has effectively brought the curtain down on his time at Liverpool and the right-back now intends to “rebuild” himself back in Scotland.
Ramsay, 23, left Aberdeen for Anfield in 2022, signing a five-year contract as one of Scottish football’s hottest properties and the recently crowned Scottish Football Writers’ Young Player of the Year. A breakthrough season at Pittodrie had alerted clubs in England and further afield and Liverpool paid Aberdeen an initial £4.2 million to sign the defender.
Unfortunately for Ramsay, his time in Merseyside was blighted by injuries. He made his debut against Napoli in the 2022–23 Champions League but there were to be only three more competitive appearances during his time at Liverpool.
Calvin Ramsay playing for Liverpool during the pre-season friendly match with AS Monaco at Anfield on August 9, 2026.placeholder image
Calvin Ramsay playing for Liverpool during the pre-season friendly match with AS Monaco at Anfield on August 9, 2026. | Getty Images
He was shipped out on loan to Preston North End, Wigan Athletic, Bolton Wanderers and Kilmarnock but struggled to put together a run of games. The hope now is that a settled season at St Mirren can reignite the career of a player who was capped by Scotland in a friendly international against Turkey in the months after joining Liverpool.
His Anfield contract expires at the end of this season so Ramsay is now playing for his next move. The former Young Player of the Year still has time on his side and can still emulate some of the previous winners of the award, many of whom have flourished in England and abroad.
Ramsay lifted the prize in 2022. Here’s what’s happened to the past 10 winners:
2015: Ryan Christie (Inverness CT)
Inverness-born Christie was a rising star with his local club when he won the young player award. He helped Caley Thistle to Scottish Cup glory that season and won a move to Celtic in the next window. He spent the best part of two seasons on loan at Aberdeen before returning to Parkhead in summer 2018 and winning back-to-back trebles. He left Scotland for Bournemouth in 2021, helping them win promotion to the Premiership. Now in his fifth season in the English top flight, he has played in three major international tournaments for Scotland, including the recent World Cup. Capped 71 times and one of the most successful young player winners of recent times.
2016-17-18: Kieran Tierney (Celtic)
Tierney was such a gifted and consistent player he was voted Scotland’s Young Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons by both the football writers and his fellow professionals. The outstanding left-back won a sackful of domestic honours before leaving for Arsenal in a record-breaking £25m deal. It was the most money Celtic had received for a player. He helped the Gunners win the FA Cup final against Chelsea in his first season, then lifted the Community Shield a couple of months later. But injuries and the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City began to lessen Tierney’s opportunities at Arsenal. After four seasons, he was allowed to leave on loan to Real Sociedad. He returned to Arsenal in summer 2024 and won another Community Shield but his playing time was now limited and he returned to Celtic last summer, helping them win the double in his first season back.
Kieran Tierney won the Young Player of the Year award three times during his first spell with Celtic.placeholder image
Kieran Tierney won the Young Player of the Year award three times during his first spell with Celtic. | SNS Group
2019: David Turnbull (Motherwell)
An attacking midfielder with an eye for goal, Turnbull’s career has stuttered since he left Scotland for Cardiff City in 2024. His breakthrough season at Motherwell in 2018-19 saw him score 15 league goals in 30 top-flight games, triggering a flurry of interest. A proposed big-money move to Celtic collapsed when it was discovered he required knee surgery. Celtic eventually signed him in summer 2020 for around £3m and he helped the club to two titles and four cups without fully winning over the support. He moved to Cardiff midway through the 2023-24 campaign but they were relegated the following season. A regular last season as the Bluebirds won promotion back to the Championship as League One runners-up.
2020: Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen)
A midfield talent who was nurtured by Hamilton Accies after being released from the youth set-up at Rangers. Played only 14 games for the Accies before Aberdeen swooped and he was a fixture in the Pittodrie team for the next four seasons. He then won a career-defining move to Bologna, developing into a key player for club and country. Was named Serie A midfielder of the year for 2023–24 then recovered from a serious knee injury to captain Bologna to a Coppa Italia triumph, becoming only the second Scot after Graeme Souness to lift the trophy. Like Christie and Tierney, a member of Scotland’s World Cup squad in the summer.
2021: Josh Doig (Hibs)
Released as a youth by Hearts, Doig flourished across the city at Hibs, helping them reach the Scottish Cup and League Cup finals. Joined the growing Scottish contingent in Italy when he moved to Hellas Verona for £3m in 2022 and spent a season and half there before joining Serie A rivals Sassuolo. They were relegated in 2024 but bounced back as Serie B champions the following year. The left-back is now embarking on another top-flight season in Italy. Capped by Scotland against in June 2025 against Liechtenstein.
Scotland's Josh Doig in action during an international friendly match against Liechtenstein at Rheinpark Stadion, on June 8, 2025, in Vaduz.placeholder image
Scotland's Josh Doig in action during an international friendly match against Liechtenstein at Rheinpark Stadion, on June 8, 2025, in Vaduz. | SNS Group
2023: Max Johnston (Motherwell)
Another who came through the system at Motherwell, Johnston, 22, soon caught the eye as an attacking right-back. Spent the first half of the 2022–23 season on loan at Cove Rangers before returning to Fir Park in January. Such was his progress back at Motherwell, he was voted Scotland’s Young Player of the Year and was bought by Sturm Graz that summer. He helped them win the Austrian Bundesliga twice and the Austrian Cup once before returning to the UK to sign for Championship club Derby County on a four-year deal. Played his part in Scotland’s successful World Cup qualifying campaign but was omitted from the squad for the finals.
2024: David Watson (Kilmarnock)
A product of the Killie youth system, attacking midfielder Watson proved himself capable of scoring spectacular goals. Made over 100 league appearances across four seasons before leaving Rugby Park to sign for Bolton Wanderers earlier this summer. Now 21, Watson is looking to kick on at the newly promoted Championship team and force himself into the international reckoning after being capped 10 times at Scotland Under-21 level. Won both writers’ and PFA young player awards in 2023-24.
2025: Lennon Miller (Motherwell)
The fourth Motherwell player to win the writers’ young player award after James McFadden, Turnbull and Johnston. Miller is a midfield prodigy whose senior debut came six days after his 16th birthday and who captained Motherwell at 18. Like Watson, he did the awards double but 2024-25 turned out to be his last season at Motherwell and he moved on last summer, joining Doig and Ferguson in Italy by signing for Udinese in a £4.75m deal. Capped by Scotland and played in two World Cup qualifiers but missed out on the finals when Steve Clarke selected Tyler Fletcher ahead of him as a late replacement for the injured Billy Gilmour. Still only 19.
2026: Barney Stewart (Falkirk)
The striker’s path to senior football was a highly unusual one: he was playing for Heriot-Watt University in the eighth tier when Falkirk manager John McGlynn spotted him. Stewart, 22, spent the first half of last season on loan at Dunfermline, scoring eight times in 12 games. He returned to Falkirk at the end of 2025 and netted a further 10 in 21, including a hat-trick against Hibs, as the Bairns secured a top-six finish in their first season back in the top flight. A big move followed, with West Bromwich Albion splashing out a reported £1.3m to sign him on a four-year contract.
The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly