Born in Scotland on 31 August 1968, Derek Whyte, now 56, was a solid defender who played primarily in the central position. He stands 6 feet tall (1.83m) and weighs 12st 12lb (82kg).
In July 1985, he joined Celtic, where he began honing his skills as a trainee. Over the subsequent years, Whyte became a stalwart of the first team, featuring extensively in Celtic's league campaigns. In his debut season of 1985-1986, he made 11 first team appearances in the league. The following seasons saw him becoming an increasingly key figure, with 42 first team appearances in 1986-1987, 41 appearances, with three goals, in 1987-1988, and 22 appearances in 1988-1989. The 1989-1990 season witnessed him scoring a goal during 35 first team appearances. His seasons at Celtic continued to be eventful, with 24 appearances and two goals in 1990-1991 and 40 appearances and a goal in 1991-1992. His final season at Celtic in 1992-1993 culminated in a single first team league appearance.
Whyte then transferred from Celtic to Middlesbrough in England in September 1992 for a sum of around £750k. In England, he consistently featured in Middlesbrough's first team in the league, with 35 appearances in 1992-1993, 42 appearances and a goal in 1993-1994, 36 appearances and a goal in 1994-1995, 25 appearances in 1995-1996, 21 appearances in 1996-1997 and eight appearances in 1997-1998.
In a change of leagues and countries, Whyte transferred from Middlesbrough to Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership in November 1997 for around £400k. He continued performing strongly, with 19, 35, 20, 29, and 31 first team league appearances in the seasons from 1997-1998 through to 2001-2002.
Moving across Scotland, Whyte transferred from Aberdeen to Partick Thistle in July 2002, making 25 first team league appearances in 2002-2003, and 15 in 2003-2004. In March 2004, Whyte made his final transfer from Partick Thistle, marking the end of his prominent career in club football.
