Scott Tanser

Scott Tanser
Scott Tanser in Rochdale kit.
Personal information
Full name Scott Tanser[1]
Date of birth (1994-10-23) 23 October 1994 (age 30)[2]
Place of birth Blackpool, England[2]
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)[2]
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
 St Mirren
Number 3
Youth career
Blackpool
Burnley
Rochdale
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2017 Rochdale 43 (1)
2017 Port Vale 11 (0)
2017–2021 St Johnstone 117 (5)
2021– St Mirren 109 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 November 2024

Scott Tanser (born 23 October 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Scottish Premiership club St Mirren.

He made his senior debut for Rochdale in April 2013 and made a total of 57 league and cup appearances for the club before he was allowed to leave for Port Vale in January 2017. He joined Scottish Premiership club St Johnstone five months later. He won the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup with St Johnstone in the 2020–21 season. He joined St Mirren in June 2021.

Career

Rochdale

Tanser spent time in the youth teams at Blackpool and Burnley, before coming through the Rochdale Academy.[3] He made his professional debut for the "Dale" after coming on as a 70th-minute substitute for D'Arcy O'Connor in a 1–0 victory over Plymouth Argyle at Spotland Stadium on 27 April 2013.[4] This was his only appearance of the 2012–13 season and he did not feature in the 2013–14 campaign as Rochdale secured promotion out of League Two. He broke into the first team at the start of the 2014–15 season and signed a two-year contract extension in October 2014.[5] Speaking the following month, manager Keith Hill said that Tanser was good enough to win England youth caps but that "politics in football, the bureaucracy and the propaganda" prevented lower league players from receiving a call-up.[6] Tanser scored his first goal in senior football on 17 January 2015, opening the scoring with a "well-controlled, left-foot volley" as Rochdale recorded a 4–1 home victory over Crawley Town; he was named on the Football League team of the week.[7][8] He ended the season with 30 League One appearances to his name.

He scored his second career goal on his first appearance of the 2015–16 season, as Rochdale beat Chesterfield 2–1 in the Football League Trophy on 6 October.[9] He maintained a first-team place and played ten further games before falling out of the first-team picture completely; his appearance against Bury on 6 December proved to be his last of the season. He played just five league games in the first half of the 2016–17 campaign, and his contract was cancelled by mutual consent in January 2017 to allow him to find first-team football elsewhere.[10]

Port Vale

Tanser signed a contract with League One rivals Port Vale on 27 January 2017 to run until the end of the 2016–17 season.[11] Tanser said that the move "was a bit of a shock actually... one minute I am at Rochdale then the next minute I am signing for Port Vale. It is a bit mad really but that is the way that football is."[12] He was released by manager Michael Brown following the club's relegation in May 2017.[13]

St Johnstone

Tanser signed a one-year contract with Scottish Premiership club St Johnstone in June 2017.[14] Speaking the following March he stated that "This is the best club I have been at and I have loved it this season... everyone is together here, there are no outcasts in our squad".[15] He made 31 appearances for Tommy Wright's "Saints" during the 2017–18 season as St Johnstone posted an eighth-placed finish. In the summer he told The Courier that he was bulking up to gain greater strength and physicality, saying he was "on a special diet, total protein and six meals a day. So I'm going to be throwing chicken, beef and all sorts of stuff down my neck soon. It's just as well I'm not a vegetarian!"[16]

On 29 December 2018, Tanser scored his first goal for St Johnstone in their 2–0 win over Tayside rivals, Dundee.[17] He signed a new two-year contract extension at the club the following month.[18] He ended the 2018–19 season with 45 appearances to his name, as well as three goals as he scored a penalty in the penultimate game against Motherwell.[19] Speaking in September 2019, Wright said of Tanser that "he is quickly becoming a top class full-back and for me he can go on to become one of the top three or four in the country".[20] Tanser featured in 27 matches of the 2019–20 season, which was curtailed early due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland.[21]

He won the Scottish League Cup with St Johnstone in 2021, though was an unused substitute in the final as they beat Livingston at Hampden Park.[22] St Johnstone went on to complete a cup double by lifting the Scottish Cup with a 1–0 victory over Hibernian, with Tanser again an unused substitute.[23] However, he struggled with injuries towards the end of the 2020–21 season and was linked with moves away from the club, despite manager Callum Davidson being keen to keep hold of him.[24][25] He was linked with a number of clubs in England's League One.[26]

St Mirren

On 7 June 2021, Tanser signed a one-year contract with Scottish Premiership club St Mirren, with an option for a further year.[27] He established himself as a popular player at St Mirren Park for what the Daily Record called his "marauding runs down the left flank and his wicked deliveries into the box" and kept his first-team place after Jim Goodwin's departure in February.[28] He signed a two-year contract extension with the club in May 2022.[29] Manager Stephen Robinson commented that Tanser was "one of the best left-backs in this league".[30] In October 2022, Tanser was involved in a car crash that left his wife injured; Robinson said that the accident "puts football into perspective".[31][32] He featured 35 times across the 2022–23 campaign.[33]

In October 2023, Tanser extended his contract with Saints until the summer of 2026.[34] He said he was very happy after making his 100th club appearance in January.[35] By March, he had made more crosses than any other player in the division that season, creating 28 chances and four assists.[36] He was named in the Premiership Team of the Week after scoring in a 3–1 with at Dundee on 4 May.[37] He ended the 2023–24 season with 42 appearances to his name.[38]

Career statistics

As of match played 4 May 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rochdale 2012–13[39] League Two 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2013–14[40] League Two 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014–15[41] League One 30 1 4 0 1 0 1[a] 0 36 1
2015–16[42] League One 7 0 2 0 0 0 2[a] 1 11 1
2016–17[43] League One 5 0 1 0 0 0 3[b] 0 9 0
Total 43 1 7 0 1 0 6 1 57 2
Port Vale 2016–17[43] League One 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 0
St Johnstone 2017–18[44] Scottish Premiership 29 0 1 0 0 0 1[c] 0 31 0
2018–19[45] Scottish Premiership 37 3 2 0 6 0 0 0 45 3
2019–20[46] Scottish Premiership 21 0 2 0 4 2 0 0 27 2
2020–21[47] Scottish Premiership 30 2 2 0 4 0 0 0 36 2
Total 117 5 7 0 14 2 1 0 139 7
St Mirren 2021–22[48] Scottish Premiership 31 2 3 0 4 0 0 0 38 2
2022–23[33] Scottish Premiership 30 0 2 0 3 0 0 0 35 0
2023–24[38] Scottish Premiership 35 2 2 0 5 1 0 0 42 3
Total 96 4 7 0 12 1 0 0 115 5
Career total 267 10 21 0 27 3 7 1 322 14
  1. ^ a b Appearances in the Football League Trophy
  2. ^ Appearances in the EFL Trophy
  3. ^ Appearance in the Europa League

Honours

St Johnstone

References

  1. ^ "The Football League Limited: Club list of registered players as at 16th May 2015" (PDF). The Football League. 16 May 2015. p. 57. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "FootballSquads - Port Vale - 2016/2017". www.footballsquads.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  3. ^ Travers, Chris (27 January 2017). "Port Vale sign Rochdale defender Scott Tanser". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Rochdale 1–0 Plymouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  5. ^ "Scott Tanser Pens Contract Extension". Rochdale AFC. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  6. ^ Partington, Richard (13 November 2014). "Dale starlets are being overlooked when it comes to international selection says Keith Hill". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Rochdale 4-1 Crawley Town". BBC Sport. 17 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  8. ^ Percival, Ryan (19 January 2015). "Sky Bet Football League Team of the Week". efl.com. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Rochdale 2-1 Chesterfield: Dale into third round thanks to Lewis Alessandra strike". Sky Sports. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  10. ^ "Scott Tanser Departs". rochdaleafc.co.uk. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  11. ^ "Port Vale: Rochdale full-back Scott Tanser signs deal until end of season". BBC Sport. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Scott Tanser, Defender, Port Vale, League One". port-vale.co.uk. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  13. ^ "Port Vale: Thirteen senior players leave club after relegation to League Two". BBC Sport. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  14. ^ "Scott Tanser: St Johnstone sign left-back on one-year deal". BBC Sport. BBC. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  15. ^ "The secret to St Johnstone? Everyone gets along". Herald Scotland. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  16. ^ Nicolson, Eric (29 May 2018). "St Johnstone's Scott Tanser bulking up for next season". The Courier. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  17. ^ Campbell, Andy (29 December 2018). "Dundee 0-2 St Johnstone: Perth side move into top six". BBC Sport Scotland. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  18. ^ "Scott Tanser signs new two-year contract extension at St Johnstone". BBC Sport. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  19. ^ Nicolson, Eric (13 May 2019). "Scott Tanser shows he is made of the right stuff for St Johnstone". The Courier. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  20. ^ Nicolson, Eric (19 September 2019). "St Johnstone's Scott Tanser can be one of the best full-backs in Scotland". The Courier. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  21. ^ "Celtic champions & Hearts relegated after SPFL ends season". BBC Sport. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  22. ^ a b "St Johnstone beat Livingston to clinch their first League Cup". BBC. 28 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  23. ^ Media, P. A. (22 May 2021). "St Johnstone complete dream double after beating Hibs to win Scottish Cup". the Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  24. ^ Nicolson, Eric (2 May 2021). "St Johnstone defender Scott Tanser looks to be out for the season but should be back for the next one". The Courier. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  25. ^ Nicolson, Eric (17 March 2021). "Scott Tanser: Left-back likely to leave St Johnstone". The Courier. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  26. ^ Smith, Peter (2 June 2021). "Ex-Vale left-back Tanser 'chased by Sheffield Wednesday' and League One rivals". StokeonTrentLive. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  27. ^ Nicolson, Eric (7 June 2021). "Former St Johnstone left-back Scott Tanser signs for St Mirren". The Courier. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  28. ^ Ramage, Ben (25 May 2022). "Tanser reflects on first season at Saints and insists there's more to come yet". Daily Record. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  29. ^ "SCOTT TANSER AGREES CONTRACT EXTENSION UNTIL 2024". www.stmirren.com. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  30. ^ Ramage, Ben (3 May 2022). "Robinson describes Tanser as 'one of the best' in league after agreeing new deal". Daily Record. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  31. ^ "St Mirren's Tanser out after wife injured in crash". BBC Sport. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  32. ^ Ramage, Ben (28 October 2022). "St Mirren defender Scott Tanser involved in car crash and ruled out of Hibs trip". Daily Record. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  33. ^ a b "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  34. ^ "St Mirren's Tanser extends contract until 2026". BBC Sport. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  35. ^ "Scott Tanser loving life at Saints after hitting 100th appearance milestone". www.stmirren.com. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  36. ^ "Tanser the Premiership's crossing king". BBC Sport. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  37. ^ Sutherland, Jonathan (6 May 2024). "St Mirren duo make TOTW". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  38. ^ a b "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  39. ^ "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  40. ^ "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  41. ^ "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  42. ^ "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  43. ^ a b "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  44. ^ "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  45. ^ "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  46. ^ "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  47. ^ "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  48. ^ "Games played by Scott Tanser in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  49. ^ Lindsay, Clive (22 May 2021). "Perth side complete domestic cup double". BBC. Retrieved 22 May 2021.