Top footballer was fished out of river by police at 2.40am
He ‘jumped over wall in frustration’ on night out
AS a Scottish Premier League footballer, Gary Mackay-Steven is no stranger to the limelight.
But last night it was understood to have left him highly embarrassed – after he had to be pulled from a river following a night out.
The Aberdeen player was retrieved by police officers from the River Kelvin in Glasgow at 2.40am yesterday.
He is understood to have vaulted over a wall, unaware that the river lay on the other side.
Once safely on dry land, the 26year-old was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow for medical checks. He was released shortly after his arrival.
Mackay-Steven, who has previously played for Dundee United and Celtic and has been capped for Scotland, is said to have been on a night out with friends in The Sanctuary nightclub in Partick in the city’s West End.
He and his friends are understood to have become involved in a verbal altercation with other clubbers and decided to leave the premises shortly afterwards.
Mackay-Steven is said to have strode off in frustration, jumped over a wall and landed in the river, opposite the Kelvin Hall.
The Kelvin was believed to have been far higher than usual due to recent torrential rainfall, but there is no suggestion that Mackay-Steven was in any difficulty while in the water.
Yesterday, a Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘At 2.40am today, police received reports of a 26have year-old man in the River Kelvin in Partick. A full search was carried out and the man was located. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.’
Mackay-Steven is understood to headed out for the night after sitting out Aberdeen’s 3-4 victory over Partick Thistle on Saturday as an unused substitute.
The incident will not be treated as a breach of club discipline because the player had just begun a period of five days’ leave, it is understood.
No one from Aberdeen Football Club was willing to comment on the incident yesterday.
Neither the player nor any of his friends were arrested or charged with any offences during the incident.
The winger, originally from Thurso, Caithness, is said to be a softly spoken character off the pitch. He began his youth career with Ross County before playing in the reserves at Liverpool between 2007 and 2009.
After two years at Fulham he was signed by Dundee United and in 2015 he signed for Celtic before signing a two-year contract with Aberdeen last month.
Mackay-Steven has made one appearance for Scotland, replacing Craig Conway for the final six minutes of a goalless friendly against the United States at Hampden in 2013.
‘A full search was carried out’