[DavidMc]

Mark Hateley

Mark Wayne Hateley (born 7 November 1961 in Wallasey, Merseyside) is a retired English football (soccer) player who played as a centre-forward. He was capped 32 times for the English national team.

Arguably Hateley's best days were at Rangers, where he scored both goals in a title-clinching 2-0 victory against Aberdeen on the final day of the 1990-91 season. He was also the first non Scottish player to win the Footballer of the Year award in Scotland. He left Rangers in 1995, with family problems suspected to be the catalyst for the move. However, in 1997, with Rangers trying to win their ninth title in a row, and with a huge injury list, manager Walter Smith desperately needed a striker, and re-signed Hateley for the vital game against Rangers' biggest rivals, Celtic. Rangers won the game 1-0, but Hateley was sent off. However, most commentators thought that the mere presence of Hateley had given Rangers a psychological advantage and that it was a signing that had paid off. Rangers eventually won the league, with the game versus Celtic seen as the unofficial clincher.

Hateley also played for Coventry City, Portsmouth, A.C. Milan, AS Monaco, QPR and Hull City, before ending his playing career with a couple of appearances for Ross County.

Hateley now does commentary work on Scottish Premier League matches for Setanta Sports.

His father, Tony, was also an English striker who played for a great many clubs including Notts County and Liverpool.

Hateley managed Hull between 1997 and 1999, but left after two unproductive seasons which saw them struggling near the foot of the Football League and overshadowed by the constant fear of extinction.