Zak Rudden

Zak Rudden

Rudden training with Dundee in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Zak Andrew Rudden[1]
Date of birth	(2000-02-06) 6 February 2000 (age 24)
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.87 m)[2]
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Queen's Park
Number	17
Youth career
	Rangers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2020	Rangers	0	(0)
2018–2019	→ Falkirk (loan)	31	(12)
2019–2020	→ Plymouth Argyle (loan)	14	(2)
2020–2022	Partick Thistle	36	(14)
2022	→ Dundee (loan)	13	(1)
2022–2024	Dundee	33	(7)
2023	→ St Johnstone (loan)	12	(1)
2024	→ Raith Rovers (loan)	14	(3)
2024–	Queen's Park	20	(5)
International career^‡
2014	Scotland U16[3]	2	(0)
2015–2017	Scotland U17[3]	12	(2)
2017–2019	Scotland U19[3]	14	(6)
2021	Scotland U21[3]	3	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:00, 11 January 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:22, 27 March 2022 (UTC)

Zak Andrew Rudden (born 6 February 2000) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Championship club Queen's Park. He has previously been a player for Rangers, Partick Thistle and Dundee, and had loan spells at Falkirk, Plymouth Argyle, Dundee, St Johnstone and Raith Rovers.

Club career

Rangers

Rudden began his career with Rangers[4] and joined the first-team for pre-season before the start of the 2018–19 season for the first time.[5]

Loans

In August 2018, Rudden moved out on loan to Falkirk.[6] On 15 September 2018, Rudden scored on his debut for Falkirk.[7]

On 23 August 2019 Rudden moved on loan to EFL League Two side Plymouth Argyle.[8][9] He made his debut for the club the next day, as a first half substitute in a 3–0 win over Walsall, and scored his first goal for the club in an EFL Trophy tie against Swindon Town on 8 October 2019.[10] The loan ended in January 2020.[11]

Partick Thistle

On 15 January 2020 Rudden signed for Partick Thistle on a two-and-a-half-year deal.[12][13]

After multiple injury problems and the shutdown of football due to COVID-19, Rudden scored his first Thistle goal on 23 March 2021 in a 3–0 win at home over Cowdenbeath in the Scottish Cup.[14]

Dundee

In January 2022 he signed a pre-contract agreement with Dundee on a three-year deal, starting in summer 2022.[15] On 31 January 2022, Rudden joined Dundee on loan until the end of the season.[16][17] He made his debut the following day as a substitute in the Dundee derby, and scored his first goal for the club four days later against Ross County.[18]

After officially joining Dundee permanently the following season, Rudden scored his first goal of the season in a home league win over Arbroath.[19]

On 31 January 2023, Rudden joined St Johnstone on loan until the end of the season.[20][21] On 25 February Rudden scored his first goal for the Saintees in a draw against St Mirren.[22]

Following his return from loan at St Johnstone, Rudden scored the winner in Dundee's first competitive game of the 2023–24 season, coming in the League Cup against Bonnyrigg Rose.[23] On 23 September, Rudden came off the bench on for 10-man Dundee and scored a late equaliser against Kilmarnock.[24]

On 26 January 2024, Rudden joined Scottish Championship club Raith Rovers on loan until the end of the season.[25] He made his debut the following day in a league game at home against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.[26] Rudden scored his first goal for the Fifers in the following league game, in a sold-out title-chasing win over his parent club's rivals Dundee United.[27]

On 12 July 2024, Dundee announced that Rudden had departed the club after both parties mutually agreed to terminate his contract.[28]

Queen's Park

The day after departing Dundee, Rudden signed for Scottish Championship club Queen's Park on a two-year deal.[29] Rudden made his debut for the Spiders on the same day, and scored his first goal for the club in a 0–5 away victory over Peterhead in the Scottish League Cup group stage.[30]

International career

Rudden has represented Scotland at youth international levels, up to and including under-21.[3]

Career statistics

As of match played 18 January 2025

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Rangers U20	2016–17[31]	SPFL Development League	—		—		—		2[a]	0	2	0
	2017–18[32]		—		—		—		1[a]	0	1	0
	2018–19[7]		—		—		—		1[a]	1	1	1
	Total		0	0	0	0	0	0	4	1	4	1
Rangers	2018–19[7]	Scottish Premiership	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2019–20[10]		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Falkirk (loan)	2018–19[7]	Scottish Championship	31	12	0	0	0	0	0	0	31	12
Plymouth Argyle (loan)	2019–20[10]	EFL League Two	14	2	1	0	1	0	2[b]	1	18	3
Partick Thistle	2019–20[10]	Scottish Championship	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
	2020–21[33]	Scottish League One	13	6	2	1	2	0	0	0	17	7
	2021–22[18]	Scottish Championship	19	7	2	0	4	2	1[a]	0	26	9
	Total		36	13	4	1	6	2	1	0	47	16
Dundee (loan)	2021–22[18]	Scottish Premiership	13	1	—		—		0	0	13	1
Dundee	2022–23[34]	Scottish Championship	19	5	2	1	3	0	3[a]	2	27	8
	2023–24[35]	Scottish Premiership	14	2	0	0	2	1	0	0	16	3
	Total		33	7	2	1	5	1	3	2	43	11
St Johnstone (loan)	2022–23[34]	Scottish Premiership	12	1	0	0	—		0	0	12	1
Raith Rovers (loan)	2023–24[35]	Scottish Championship	14	3	—		—		3[c]	0	17	3
Queen's Park	2024–25[36]	Scottish Championship	20	5	2	1	5	1	2[a]	1	29	8
Career total			173	44	9	3	17	4	15	5	214	56

1. Appearance(s) in the Scottish Challenge Cup.
2. Appearance(s) in the Football League Trophy.
3. One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup, two appearances in the Premiership play-offs

Honours

Club

Partick Thistle

• Scottish League One: 2020–21[37]

Dundee

• Scottish Championship: 2022–23[38]

References

1. "Notification of shirt numbers: Plymouth Argyle" (PDF). English Football League. p. 54. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
2. Zak Rudden at Soccerway
3. Zak Rudden at the Scottish Football Association
4. Jack, Christopher (13 June 2018). "Rangers kid Zak Rudden putting in the hours to catch Steven Gerrard's eye at Ibrox". The Herald. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
5. "Zak's best Week". Rangers F.C. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
6. "Morton 'saddened' by Ray McKinnon's departure for Falkirk". BBC Sport. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
7. "Games played by Zak Rudden in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
8. "Zak Attack". PAFC.co.uk. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
9. "Zak Rudden: Plymouth Argyle sign Rangers striker on loan". BBC Sport. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
10. "Games played by Zak Rudden in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
11. "Zak Going Back". www.pafc.co.uk.
12. "Signing News: Zak Rudden Joins the Club". Partick Thistle F.C. 15 January 2020.
13. "Zak Rudden: Rangers striker signs for Partick Thistle". BBC Sport. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
14. "Partick Thistle v Cowdenbeath – 23rd March 2021". Partick Thistle FC.
15. Lorimer, Scott (21 January 2022). "Zak Rudden: Dundee confirm pre-contract agreement with Partick Thistle top scorer".
16. "Zak joins on loan". Dundee Football Club – Official Website. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
17. "Dundee sign Thistle's Rudden on loan". BBC Sport.
18. "Games played by Zak Rudden in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
19. "Dundee end Arbroath run in six-goal thriller". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
20. "Zak joins St. Johnstone". Dundee Football Club - Official Website. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
21. "St Johnstone sign Dundee striker Rudden on loan". BBC Sport.
22. "St Johnstone 1-1 St Mirren: Alex Gogic scores late on as Buddies salvage a point against 10-man Saints". Sky Sports. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
23. "Bonnyrigg Rose v Dundee". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
24. "Ten-man Dundee stun Kilmarnock with late leveller". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
25. "Zak Rudden signs | Raith Rovers FC". www.raithrovers.net. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
26. "Nine-minute Samuel hat-trick dents Raith's title bid". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
27. "Stunner revives Raith's title hopes as Dundee Utd falter". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
28. "Rudden departs". Dundee Football Club - Official Website. 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
29. "Zak Rudden Signs for Queen's Park". Queen's Park Football Club: Home. 13 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
30. "Peterhead vs. Queen's Park - 13 July 2024 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
31. "Games played by Zak Rudden in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
32. "Games played by Zak Rudden in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
33. "Games played by Zak Rudden in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
34. "Games played by Zak Rudden in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
35. "Games played by Zak Rudden in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
36. "Games played by Zak Rudden in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
37. "Partick Thistle seal League 1 title". BBC Sport.
38. "Dundee promoted: How the bedlam of their chaotic title win unfolded". BBC Sport.