Alex McLeish facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alex McLeish
OBE

McLeish as Aston Villa manager in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Alexander McLeish
Date of birth	(1959-01-21) 21 January 1959 (age 66)
Place of birth	Glasgow, Scotland
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Glasgow United
1976–1978	Aberdeen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1978–1994	Aberdeen	493	(25)
1976	→ Lewis United
1994–1995	Motherwell	3	(0)
Total		496	(25)
International career
1978–1987	Scotland U21	6	(0)
1980–1993	Scotland	77	(0)
Managerial career
1994–1998	Motherwell
1998–2001	Hibernian
2001–2006	Rangers
2007	Scotland
2007	Scotland B
2007–2011	Birmingham City
2011–2012	Aston Villa
2012–2013	Nottingham Forest
2014–2015	Genk
2016	Zamalek
2018–2019	Scotland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alexander McLeish (born on January 21, 1959) is a Scottish football manager and former player. He was a strong defender for Aberdeen during their most successful years in the 1980s. He played almost 500 games for the club and earned 77 appearances for the Scotland national team.

McLeish started his coaching career with teams like Motherwell and Hibernian. He then led Rangers to win two league titles and five cup trophies over five years. He also managed the Scotland national team for ten months. They almost made it to the 2008 UEFA European Championship.

In November 2007, he became the manager of Birmingham City in the Premier League. Even though Birmingham was relegated that season, McLeish helped them get back to the Premier League in 2009. Birmingham then won the League Cup in 2011. However, they were relegated again that same season.

After this, he became manager of Aston Villa, Birmingham's city rivals. He was the first manager to move directly between these two clubs. After one season, his contract with Villa ended. McLeish later managed Nottingham Forest, Genk in Belgium, and Zamalek in Egypt. He also had a second time as manager of the Scotland national team.

In 2008, the University of Aberdeen gave McLeish an honorary doctorate. This was to celebrate his great contributions to Scottish sport. In 2024, he was awarded an OBE for his charity work.

Early Life and Football Beginnings

Alex McLeish was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father, Alex, worked in a shipyard, and his mother was Jean. He has two younger siblings, Angela and Ian. His family moved to Barrhead when he was young.

He went to Springhill Primary and then Barrhead High School. At Barrhead High, he was one year below Peter Weir, who would later be his teammate at Aberdeen and for Scotland. He also attended John Neilson High School in Paisley.

As a young player, he played for Barrhead Youth Club and Glasgow United. He also trained for a short time with Hamilton Accies. In 1976, after a local cup final with Glasgow United, a team from Aberdeen watched him play. The very next day, McLeish signed with the Aberdeen club.

Playing Career Highlights

Playing for Clubs

Alex McLeish spent most of his first two seasons at Aberdeen playing in the reserve team. He also had a short loan period with a local team called Lewis United. In 1978, he helped Aberdeen win the Scottish 2nd XI Cup.

He played his first official game for Aberdeen on January 2, 1978. This was against Dundee United. His first big final was in 1978–79, when he came on as a substitute in a 2–1 loss to Rangers in the League Cup. In the 1970s, he mostly played as a midfielder. But he soon became a key centre-back for the team.

Over the next seven years, he had amazing success. He won eight trophies in Scotland and two in Europe. One highlight was scoring in a 4–1 win against Rangers in the 1982 Scottish Cup Final. This was his 200th game for Aberdeen. He also scored a very important goal against Bayern Munich in the competition that led to Aberdeen winning the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1983.

During this time, McLeish, Willie Miller, and Jim Leighton formed a very strong defence for both Aberdeen and Scotland. Even after he first played for Scotland, his father asked Aberdeen manager Alex Ferguson to convince him to keep training as an accountant. When Ferguson left Aberdeen in 1986 to join Manchester United, he tried to sign McLeish, but it didn't happen. McLeish also had talks with Tottenham Hotspur.

In December 1988, a special match was held for McLeish. Aberdeen's Cup Winners' Cup winning team played against a team of 'International legends'. In 1990, he was named the Scottish Player of the Year. This was after a season where Aberdeen won both domestic cups.

He became the captain of Aberdeen after Willie Miller retired. He played 692 official games for the club. This is the second-highest number of appearances in Aberdeen's history.

Playing for Scotland

Alex McLeish is Scotland's sixth most-capped player. He played 77 times for the national team between 1980 and 1993. He first played for the Scotland under-21 team while still a reserve player at Aberdeen. He played six games at that level.

His first game for the full national team was on March 26, 1980, against Portugal. He played in three World Cups for Scotland: in 1982, 1986, and 1990. He is a member of the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.

When he earned his 50th cap in 1987, against Luxembourg, McLeish was made team captain for that game. His last game for Scotland was on February 17, 1993. It was a 3–0 win over Malta at Hampden Park.

Management Career

After his successful playing career, Alex McLeish quickly became a football manager.

Managing Motherwell

He started managing Motherwell in 1994, a year before he stopped playing. In his first season, he led Motherwell to finish second in the Premier Division. This was behind Walter Smith's Rangers. However, he couldn't build on this success. The next two seasons, the team was fighting to avoid being relegated. He left Motherwell in 1998 to manage Hibernian.

Managing Hibernian

McLeish took over a struggling Hibernian team. They were relegated from the Scottish Premier Division in 1998. But he quickly guided the team back to the Scottish Premier League by winning the First Division championship.

In their first season back in the top league, Hibernian finished in the middle of the table. They also reached the Scottish Cup semi-final. In the 2000–01 season, Hibs started very strongly. They ended up finishing third and reached the Scottish Cup final. This good performance caught the eye of bigger clubs.

McLeish brought talented players like Russell Latapy and former French international Franck Sauzée to Hibs. He also helped develop young striker Kenny Miller, who later played many games for Scotland.

Managing Rangers

McLeish's work at Hibs was noticed. He was linked with moves to clubs in England. But in December 2001, he was appointed manager of Rangers. The outgoing Rangers manager, Dick Advocaat, recommended McLeish to the club chairman, David Murray.

McLeish was an instant success at Rangers. In his first season, he won both the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup. In his second season, he did even better, winning the domestic treble. This means he won the league, the Scottish Cup, and the Scottish League Cup all in one season. Players like Ronald de Boer and Barry Ferguson helped him achieve this.

Rangers then faced financial problems, and many top players left in 2003. Celtic won the league easily in the 2003–04 season, and Rangers didn't win any trophies. Fans started to put pressure on McLeish because of some poor player signings and a record seven straight losses to Celtic.

In 2004–05, Rangers signed Jean-Alain Boumsong and Dado Pršo. This gave them new hope of winning the title back from Celtic. McLeish's team won the 2005 league title on the very last day. This seemed very unlikely after Rangers were five points behind Celtic with only four games left.

After this unexpected win, McLeish and his Rangers team were favourites to win the championship again in 2005–06. McLeish made some new signings, even though he had little money. After a good start, Rangers had a tough period with 10 games without a win. However, the tenth match in this run was a 1–1 draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League. This result took Rangers into the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time.

Despite their poor league form, McLeish led Rangers to the last 16 of the Champions League. They were defeated by Villarreal on the away goals rule. They were the first Scottish team to get this far in the European Cup since 1993. In December, chairman David Murray publicly supported McLeish. Rangers then had a good run of results in December and January.

This good run ended when they lost 3–0 to Hibernian in the Scottish Cup. This led to protests outside Ibrox Stadium against McLeish and David Murray. On February 9, 2006, it was announced that McLeish would leave his role as manager at the end of that season. He was replaced by Paul Le Guen. Rangers beat Hearts 2–0 in his final match as manager.

Managing Scotland National Team

After leaving Rangers, McLeish said he would not manage another Scottish club. He felt he had achieved everything he could in Scottish football. He was linked with several managing jobs in England.

McLeish took charge of the Scotland national team on January 29, 2007. His first game was a 2–1 win against Georgia on March 24, 2007. His second game was a 2–0 loss to Italy.

McLeish's Scotland team then beat the Faroe Islands and Lithuania. Four days later, they achieved a famous 1–0 victory over France in Paris. James McFadden scored a goal from 30 yards. This win put Scotland back at the top of their qualifying group. This result is seen as one of Scotland's greatest wins. Scotland then beat Ukraine 3–1. McLeish's second loss as manager came away in Georgia. This meant Scotland had a deciding game against the World Champions, Italy. Scotland lost the game 2–1, which was McLeish's last game in his first spell. Italy qualified for the finals.

Managing Birmingham City

Premier League club Birmingham City asked the SFA for permission to speak to McLeish about their manager job, but it was refused. However, on November 27, 2007, McLeish resigned as Scotland manager. He was announced as Birmingham's new manager the next day. He said he wanted to work with players every day again and had always wanted to manage in the Premier League.

McLeish as Birmingham City manager in 2009

He had a good start at Birmingham, winning 3–2 away against Tottenham Hotspur. In January 2008, McLeish made the team stronger. He bought David Murphy and James McFadden. He also signed Mauro Zárate on loan. Despite his efforts, he couldn't save Birmingham from being relegated.

McLeish changed the club's staff and training. He brought in new people to help find players. On the last day of the 2008–09 season, McLeish helped Birmingham return to the top league in England. They won 2–1 away against Reading. By January 2010, he had guided them to a 12-game unbeaten run. This was a club record in the top division. He was also named Premier League Manager of the Month for December 2009. This was the first time a Birmingham manager received this award. By the end of the season, McLeish had led Birmingham to ninth place. This was their highest finish in over 50 years.

After Birmingham's success in 2009–10, McLeish agreed to a new three-year deal in September 2010. In February 2011, McLeish led Birmingham to win the League Cup. They beat favourites Arsenal 2–1 in the final at Wembley. He called it his "greatest achievement."

However, after the League Cup win, the team had a poor run of games. Birmingham was relegated to the Championship on the last day of the 2010–11 season. The club directors said McLeish would keep his job. They expected him to bring the club back to the Premier League quickly. But McLeish decided to leave Birmingham City on June 12, 2011.

Managing Aston Villa

On June 17, 2011, Aston Villa appointed McLeish as their manager. This was just five days after he left their local rivals, Birmingham City. There was a lot of debate about his appointment. Birmingham City said McLeish was still under contract. Aston Villa fans protested outside Villa Park.

McLeish's first signing was Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given. He then signed winger Charles N'Zogbia. McLeish's first game as Villa manager was a 0–0 draw with Fulham. He got his first Premier League win with Villa in a 3–1 victory over Blackburn Rovers.

McLeish led the 2011–12 Villa team to 16th place in the Premier League. They avoided relegation by just two points. They also set a club record for only four home wins. McLeish's contract was ended on May 14, the day after the season finished. The club said the reasons were the poor results and the style of play.

Managing Nottingham Forest

McLeish was appointed manager of Football League Championship club Nottingham Forest on December 27, 2012. His first game was a 2–2 draw against Crystal Palace. He got his first win as Nottingham Forest manager on January 12, 2013, a 2–1 victory against Peterborough.

He managed his only East Midlands derby against Derby County on January 19, 2013, which ended in a 1–1 draw. On February 2, 2013, after a 2–1 loss to his former club Birmingham City, he said he was unhappy. This was because the Nottingham Forest board stopped a deal to sign a player. On February 5, 2013, he left the club by agreement.

Managing Genk

In November 2013, McLeish said he wanted to return to football management. In August 2014, he became manager of Belgian club Genk. McLeish's first game was a 1–1 draw. In March 2015, it was reported that McLeish would leave Genk at the end of the season. This was because the club did not qualify for the Championship play-offs.

Managing Zamalek

McLeish was appointed manager of Egyptian Premier League club Zamalek on February 28, 2016. After a series of poor performances from the team, he was sacked on May 2, with ten matches left in the season.

Second Spell with Scotland National Team

McLeish was reappointed Scotland manager on February 16, 2018. He signed a two-year contract. Scotland won their 2018–19 UEFA Nations League group under McLeish. However, he was sacked on April 18, 2019, after a 3–0 defeat by Kazakhstan. Scotland's Nations League success under McLeish helped them qualify for UEFA Euro 2020. This was their first major tournament in 22 years. During his time, McLeish also convinced Scott McTominay to play for Scotland.

Beyond Football

McLeish had a small role in the movie Stan & Ollie, which is about the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. This happened after he met the director, who was an Aberdeen FC fan, on a flight. In the film, McLeish can be seen briefly reading a newspaper in a hotel lobby.

During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, McLeish supported the Better Together campaign. This campaign was against Scotland becoming an independent country.

In 2024, McLeish was appointed an OBE. This award was given for his work with charities.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Managerial Record

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Aberdeen

• Scottish Premier Division Champion: 1979–80, 1983–84, 1984–85
• Scottish Cup Winner: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1989–90
• Scottish League Cup Winner: 1985–86, 1989–90
• Drybrough Cup Winner: 1980
• European Cup Winners' Cup Winner: 1982–83
• European Super Cup Winner: 1983

Scotland

• Rous Cup Winner: 1985

Individual Awards

• Scotland national football team roll of honour: 1987
• SFWA Footballer of the Year: 1990

As a Manager

Hibernian

• Scottish First Division Champion: 1998–99

Rangers

• Scottish Premier League Champion: 2002–03, 2004–05
• Scottish Cup Winner: 2001–02, 2002–03
• Scottish League Cup Winner: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05

Birmingham City

• Football League Championship Runner-up (promoted): 2008–09
• Football League Cup Winner: 2010–11

Individual Awards

• Scottish Football Hall of Fame: inducted 2005
• Scottish Premier League Manager of the Month: October 2000, February 2002, September 2002, February 2003, August 2003, September 2003, November 2004, February 2005, January 2006
• Premier League Manager of the Month: December 2009

See also

In Spanish: Alex McLeish para niños

• List of Scotland national football team captains