Former Aberdeen and Celtic winger Gary Mackay-Steven's stats compared to Portsmouth's Ronan Curtis

Pompey are hoping to seal their second signing of the summer this week.
ARBROATH, SCOTLAND - JULY 04: Gary Mackay-Steven of Aberdeen in action during the Pre-Season Friendly between Falkirk and Aberdeen at Gayfield Park on July 4, 2018 in Arbroath, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)ARBROATH, SCOTLAND - JULY 04: Gary Mackay-Steven of Aberdeen in action during the Pre-Season Friendly between Falkirk and Aberdeen at Gayfield Park on July 4, 2018 in Arbroath, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
ARBROATH, SCOTLAND - JULY 04: Gary Mackay-Steven of Aberdeen in action during the Pre-Season Friendly between Falkirk and Aberdeen at Gayfield Park on July 4, 2018 in Arbroath, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

The winger possesses a pedigree that has whet the appetite of supporters.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

European goals and international experience for Scotland decorate the 28-year-old’s C.V, while the Youtube highlights reels have got plenty of fans excited.

Upon his arrival, Mackay-Steven will chiefly battle Ronan Curtis for the left-wing spot in Kenny Jackett’s starting line-up.

The Irishman enjoyed a fine maiden season in the Football League after arriving from Derry City last summer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Curtis scored 12 goals in all competitions, with his form earning him his Republic of Ireland senior breakthrough.

It’ll mean there’s strong competition between the pair, which will bolster their own performances and Pompey's League One promotion aspirations.

And using Wyscout – the professional platform for people working in the football world – we’ve crunched the numbers to see how they both fared in their respective leagues last season.

In terms of hitting the back of the net, Curtis was by far the more prolific.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He netted 11 times in 42 appearances – an average of 0.26 goals per 90 minutes.

Mackay-Steven’s ratio was slightly less. He bagged four goals in 20 outings, representing 0.2 goals per 90 minutes.

Curtis also had the upper hand by a significant margin when it came to assists.

He created eight goals for Jackett's troops last term, with Mackay-Steven managing just one for the Dons.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

That’s despite Mackay-Steven averaging more crosses (4.19 per 90 minutes) than Curtis (4.13), although the current Blues winger’s accuracy when whipping balls into the danger area of 36.25 per cent surpassed the imminent arrival (31.33 per cent).

It was also the London-born ace who averaged more through passes (0.54) and key passes (0.44) over 90 minutes than Mackay-Steven (0.3 and 0.25 respectively).

As for dribbles, however, it was the former Liverpool youth player who was the stronger.

Mackay-Steven averaged 8.32 per 90 minutes and boasted a success rate of 66.67 per cent. Curtis went on 7.21 per 90 minutes but just 62.37 per cent proved fruitful.

In terms of fouls suffered, it was the Aberdeen winger who just shaded it, being brought down 1.72 times per 90 minutes opposed to Curtis’ 1.68.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.