Danny Wilson (footballer, born 1991)

1.1. Rangers (first stint)

Wilson progressed through the youth team ranks at Rangers, where he captained the under-19 team. He was highly regarded early in his career and even drew interest from other clubs before making his professional debut, with some observers comparing him to the legendary Scottish defender Alan Hansen. Wilson was an unused substitute on several occasions during the latter part of the 2008-09 season, including in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final against Falkirk.

He made his professional debut for Rangers against Dundee in the League Cup in October 2009, playing the full 90 minutes of a NaN Q 3-1 victory. Just over a week later, on 4 November 2009, he became the youngest Rangers player to play in the UEFA Champions League when he started in a NaN Q 1-1 draw against Unirea Urziceni, aged 17 years and 312 days. After the match, Wilson described making his debut as "unbelievable." Veteran captain David Weir commented on Wilson, reminding himself of a seventeen-year-old version of himself, and revealed that both he and Saša Papac helped Wilson adapt to the first team. Despite his early appearances, Wilson did not expect more starts once Madjid Bougherra returned from injury.

Wilson scored his first goal for Rangers in a NaN Q 4-1 away victory against Hearts at Tynecastle on 27 March 2010. Manager Walter Smith indicated in mid-March that Wilson was close to signing a new contract.

After a promising debut season in 2009-10, Wilson received both the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year award and the Scottish FWA Young Player of the Year award. He was also voted as Rangers Young Player of the Year by the club's supporters. Upon receiving the awards, Wilson expressed that winning a double in his first season with Rangers would be "something special." In total, he made 24 appearances and scored one goal for Rangers in his first stint. He was notably sent off in the 2010 Scottish League Cup Final against St Mirren, which Rangers won NaN Q 1-0. Wilson described the sending off as his first and felt "gutted," believing he had let the team down. While in the process of contract negotiations, Wilson was linked with Premier League sides Aston Villa and Liverpool.

1.2. Liverpool

On 21 July 2010, Wilson joined Liverpool, signing a three-year deal for an initial transfer fee of 2.00 M GBP, which could potentially rise to 5.00 M GBP based on appearances. He regularly featured for the reserves in the early part of the season, scoring his first goal for the second-string team on 20 October 2010 in a NaN Q 3-3 draw with Blackburn Rovers at Prenton Park.

Wilson made his first-team debut for Liverpool on 22 September 2010 in a League Cup match against League Two side Northampton Town, which Liverpool lost NaN Q 4-2 on penalties after a NaN Q 2-2 draw. In the January transfer window, Wilson was linked with a loan move to Rangers' Old Firm rival Celtic. He played the full 90 minutes in a Europa League tie against Sparta Prague on 17 February 2011, and was praised for his effort by manager Kenny Dalglish. His first Premier League start came on 27 February 2011, in a NaN Q 3-1 defeat against West Ham United at the Boleyn Ground. On 17 March, he again started a Europa League tie against Braga. On 2 April, he replaced the injured Daniel Agger during the first half of a NaN Q 2-1 away defeat to West Bromwich Albion.

For the 2011-12 season, Wilson expressed a desire to leave Liverpool on loan to gain more first-team experience, with Rangers being among the interested teams. He made an appearance against his former club, Rangers, in a NaN Q 1-0 friendly defeat on 18 October 2011. Upon joining Hearts later, Wilson stated he had no regrets about joining Liverpool, insisting the experience made him a better player.

1.3. Heart of Midlothian

On 18 January 2013, Wilson joined Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian on loan from Liverpool until the end of the season, receiving the squad number four. He made his debut the following day, starting in a NaN Q 4-1 defeat against Celtic at Celtic Park.

Wilson then played in the Scottish League Cup for the first time in three years when Hearts faced Inverness Caledonian Thistle, a match Hearts won in a penalty shootout after a NaN Q 1-1 draw following extra time, securing their place in the final. There was some controversy over his eligibility due to a red card he had received in the competition three years prior, but the Scottish FA confirmed that Wilson was eligible, stating he had served his ban at the beginning of the 2010-11 season and that the SFA does not operate competition-specific disciplinary procedures. In the 2013 Scottish League Cup Final against St Mirren, Wilson started alongside captain Andy Webster in central defense. Hearts lost the match NaN Q 3-2. Since moving to Hearts, Wilson became a regular first-team player and expressed his willingness to stay with the club long-term.

On 27 May 2013, it was announced that Wilson would sign a permanent deal with Hearts after his Liverpool contract expired in the summer. The move was initially blocked by the SPL due to Hearts entering administration and being unable to register new players. However, this decision was later rescinded, and Wilson was confirmed as a Hearts player on 30 June. On 2 July, Hearts appointed Wilson as club captain at the age of 21, a decision manager Gary Locke described as "a big responsibility for him." This captaincy was widely considered a key reason for Wilson's decision to re-sign with the club.

Wilson's first game as Hearts captain was the opening match of the 2013-14 season, a NaN Q 1-0 defeat to St Johnstone. After a NaN Q 3-1 win against Aberdeen on 24 August 2014, Wilson was involved in a tunnel incident that resulted in a one-match ban. In November, he contributed to Hearts gaining points by assisting one goal in a NaN Q 3-1 win over Aberdeen and another in a NaN Q 2-2 draw against Ross County. Wilson was sidelined with tonsillitis but scored on his return in a NaN Q 3-3 draw against St Johnstone. He scored his second goal of the season on 21 March 2014, in a NaN Q 2-1 loss against Dundee United. His third goal came in a NaN Q 4-2 defeat to Partick Thistle on 7 May 2014. Despite his efforts, Wilson was unable to prevent the club's relegation from the Scottish Premiership. In the league, he made 33 appearances and scored three goals. Following the relegation, Wilson vowed to help the club bounce back to the Scottish Premiership and expressed his desire to stay at Hearts as they moved into the Scottish Championship.

In his second season at Hearts (2014-15), Wilson looked forward to playing in the Scottish Championship. He scored the club's first goal of the season in the Championship against his former club, Rangers, but notably refused to celebrate. Hearts went on to win the match NaN Q 2-1. Wilson was later sidelined due to a hamstring strain. Upon his return, he scored his second goal of the season and provided two assists in a NaN Q 4-1 win against Queen of the South. Wilson captained Hearts throughout the 2014-15 season, leading them to win the Championship title and secure promotion back to the Premiership. Near the end of the season, it was reported that Wilson had exercised a clause in his contract allowing him to become a free agent.

1.4. Return to Rangers

After leaving Hearts, Wilson signed a three-year contract with Rangers on 22 June 2015, marking his return to the club. He made his second debut for Rangers against Hibernian in the first round of the Scottish Challenge Cup on 25 July 2015. Over the course of the subsequent season, he played in central defense alongside Rob Kiernan. However, the defensive pairing received criticism for some of their performances.

1.5. Colorado Rapids

On 29 January 2018, Wilson signed a three-year contract with Major League Soccer side Colorado Rapids. He made his debut for the club on 27 February 2018 in their CONCACAF Champions League match against Toronto FC, starting in a NaN Q 0-0 draw.

Wilson scored his first goal for the Colorado Rapids on 11 May 2019 in a NaN Q 3-2 home defeat against Real Salt Lake. He scored his second goal a month later, on 28 June, against Los Angeles FC, a lone 49th-minute goal that secured a NaN Q 1-0 home victory for the Rapids. Wilson was waived by Colorado on 2 January 2024.

1.6. Queen's Park

On 1 February 2024, Wilson's return to Scotland was confirmed when he joined Scottish Championship club Queen's Park on an eighteen-month contract. On 18 July 2024, his contract with Queen's Park was terminated by mutual consent.

1.7. Livingston

On 15 October 2024, Wilson joined his hometown club, Livingston, on a short-term contract set to last until January 2025.

2.1. Youth teams

Wilson has represented Scotland at various underage levels, including captaining the under-19 national football team and featuring for the under-21 side. He has been involved in the international set-up since the age of 15 and captained the under-19s during 2009. Due to his lack of regular first-team football, Wilson returned to the under-21 team in October 2011. He was a regular for the Under-21s in their 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying campaign and eventually made five appearances for the team.

2.2. Senior team

On 16 November 2010, Wilson played his first game for Scotland, scoring on his debut in a NaN Q 3-0 win in a friendly against the Faroe Islands. On 27 March 2011, he came off the bench to play against the Brazil national football team in a friendly match at the Emirates Stadium. In an important 2012 European Championship qualifying game against the Czech Republic, Wilson came on as a substitute and conceded a late penalty, which allowed the Czechs to claim a late point in a NaN Q 2-2 draw. However, replays of the incident showed that the Czech player involved, Jan Rezek, had dived under Wilson's challenge, and the referee Kevin Blom later admitted that he had been deceived.

3.1. Club

3.2. International

4.1. Club honours

Rangers

• Scottish Premier League: 2009-10
• Scottish Cup: 2009
• Scottish League Cup: 2010
• Scottish Championship: 2015-16
• Scottish Challenge Cup: 2015-16

Heart of Midlothian

• Scottish Championship: 2014-15

4.2. Individual honours

• PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year: 2009-10
• Scottish Football Writers' Association Young Player of the Year: 2009-10
• Scottish Championship PFA Scotland Team of the Year: 2014-15