David Turnbull (footballer)

Raised in Wishaw, Turnbull joined the Motherwell Youth Academy in 2009.[3] He was selected for the Scotland football team (represented by North Lanarkshire school pupils) at the 2014 International Children's Games alongside Motherwell colleague Jake Hastie,[4] who had already been a teammate for several years during their youth careers.[5] On 27 April 2016, Turnbull was part of the Well team that won the Scottish Youth Cup, beating Heart of Midlothian 5–2.[6]

Turnbull made his senior debut for Motherwell on 10 February 2018, in a 2–0 victory away at Dundee in the Scottish Cup.[7][8] On 8 May 2018, he made his first start and Scottish Professional Football League debut in a 1–0 victory away to Partick Thistle. Later that month he was an unused substitute in the 2018 Scottish Cup Final which Motherwell lost 2–0 to Celtic.

On 31 October 2018, Turnbull scored his first goal for Motherwell against St Mirren. In January 2019, he was the sole goalscorer in two consecutive league wins in the space of four days, at home to Hibernian and away to Dundee.[5][9][10] A few days later he signed a new contract with Motherwell, running until summer 2021.[11][12] In May 2019, amid more goals and growing media praise for his performances,[13] he was nominated for the season's PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, along with Jake Hastie; the award was won by Ryan Kent.[14] Turnbull won the SFWA Young Player of the Year award for 2018–19, voted for by Scottish football journalists.[15] He was the first Motherwell player to win that award since James McFadden in 2001–02.[15]

In June 2019, Motherwell agreed a club-record £3.25 million fee with Celtic for Turnbull.[16][17] The proposed deal collapsed when medical tests found that Turnbull would require preventative surgery on his left knee, and the clubs could not agree revised terms.[18] Turnbull returned to Motherwell, had his knee operation – performed by renowned London surgeon Andy Williams – then underwent a rehabilitation programme across the winter (alongside teammate Charles Dunne who was recovering from a groin injury) and resumed full training in February 2020.[17][19] He made his return to the first team as a second half substitute at home to St Mirren on 25 February.[20] On 11 March 2020, Turnbull signed a contract extension with Motherwell to run until 2022.[21] With the 2019–20 season halted days afterwards due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, he successfully re-established himself as an important member of the side at the outset of 2020–21.[22]

Turnbull joined Celtic on 27 August 2020, on a four-year deal.[23] The fee of around £3 million[24] was a club record for Motherwell.[25] After three substitute appearances during September, he made his first start for the club on 4 October against St Johnstone.[26]