Then and now

Derek Young: Back where he began at Aberdeen

Of the 300 or so players who featured in the first season of the SPL back in 1998/99, 16 are currently involved in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

No-one still turning out in the top flight has spent the entire decade with the same club but three players are back where they began in the SPL.

Aberdeen's attacking midfielder Derek Young made a handful of appearances as a teenager in 1998/99 and was at Pittodrie for several years before moving to Dunfermline in 2003. After spells with St Johnstone and Partick Thistle he returned to the Granite City last summer.

Motherwell stalwart Stephen Craigan joined the club in 1995 and played 10 times in the first SPL campaign. The Northern Ireland defender has been at Fir Park ever since, apart from a three-year stint at Partick Thistle between 2000 and 2003.

Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson made 23 SPL appearances under Dick Advocaat as the Ibrox club won the title in 1998/99. His spell at the club was broken by 18 months at Blackburn Rovers between summer 2003 and January 2005.

Neil McCann (Hearts and Rangers) and Jim Hamilton (Hearts and Aberdeen) played for two clubs in the inaugural season. Now with St Mirren, Hamilton, 32, has also turned out for Dundee United, Livingston, Motherwell and Dunfermline in the top flight.

Of the 10 clubs involved in 1998/99, only Kilmarnock did not provide a player still active in the SPL today, but Gus MacPherson is manager of St Mirren and Ally McCoist is No 2 at Rangers.

Listed below are the clubs who made up the SPL in 1998/99 and the players still featuring in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League:

Aberdeen: Jim Hamilton (St Mirren), Dennis Wyness (St Mirren), Derek Young (Aberdeen)

Celtic: Jackie McNamara (Falkirk)

Dundee: Jamie Langfield (Aberdeen)

Dundee United: Alan Combe (Kilmarnock)

Dunfermline: Colin Nish (Hibernian)

Hearts: Jim Hamilton (St Mirren), Gary Locke (Kilmarnock), Grant Murray (Kilmarnock), Neil McCann (Falkirk), Scott Severin (Aberdeen), David Weir (Rangers)

Kilmarnock: None

Motherwell: Stephen Craigan (Motherwell), Lee McCulloch (Rangers)

Rangers: Barry Ferguson (Rangers), Neil McCann (Falkirk)

St Johnstone: Darren Dods (Dundee United)

+ Jonatan Johansson played 25 times for Rangers in 1998/99 and, after leaving Malmo, has signed a pre-contract agreement with Hibernian, which will see him join in January.