David Turnbull (born 10 July 1999, age 27) is a Scottish central midfielder from Carluke, now with Cardiff City, where he wears 14. His career has had a few turns, but Celtic remains the substantial chapter: four seasons, 100 league appearances, 25 league goals and a fair haul of medals.
He came through at Motherwell and made his name properly in 2018-19, scoring 15 league goals in 30 appearances. That was the season that put him beyond the category of promising academy product and into the market Celtic tend to watch closely.
Celtic signed him from Motherwell in August 2020 for around £3.5m. Turnbull was not a midfielder built on noise or excess, but he gave Celtic quality from set plays, a decent weight of pass and a goal threat that was sometimes badly needed. Across his time at the club he won two Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and two League Cups, while also finishing runner-up in the Premiership and Scottish Cup.
He left Celtic in February 2024, joining Cardiff City for around £2m. By 2026-27 he had made five Championship appearances for Cardiff, still operating primarily in central midfield.
Turnbull’s career started well at Motherwell, was defined by his Celtic spell, and has continued in the Championship with Cardiff. At Celtic, he was an important first-team player rather than a decoration: useful, productive, and involved in a successful period without ever needing the volume turned up too far.
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