David Turnbull, born in Carluke on 10 July 1999 (age 26), came through at Motherwell and was already more than a tidy midfield prospect before Celtic moved for him. His 2018-2019 league season at Fir Park, with 15 goals in 30 appearances, was the one that made the point plainly enough.
Celtic signed him from Motherwell in August 2020 for around £3.5m. His time in Glasgow became the main body of his career: four seasons, 100 league appearances and 25 league goals. He was never the loudest presence in that midfield, but he had a clean strike, decent timing around the box and enough end product to matter.
Turnbull also left with a proper haul. He won two Premiership titles, in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, two Scottish Cups and two League Cups with Celtic, as well as finishing runner-up once in both the league and Scottish Cup. That is not a footnote, even if his role could sometimes be more useful than spectacular.
In February 2024, Celtic sold him to Cardiff City for around £2m. He has since become a regular part of their side, wearing number 14 and playing primarily in central midfield. In 2025-2026, he has made 41 league appearances and scored two league goals, with 47 appearances and three goals in all competitions for Cardiff.
Turnbull’s career is still shaped most clearly by Celtic, where he did the bulk of his senior work and won his medals. Cardiff has given him the next established stage: regular football, a defined midfield role, and a career that has settled again after leaving Glasgow.
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