Former Rangers boss McLeish to return as Scotland manager on two-year deal
ALEX McLeish has agreed to become Scotland manager for a second time – more than a decade after leaving the post.
The former Rangers manager is expected to sign a two-year deal to take over from Gordon Strachan, who left in October after the squad failed to qualify for the World Cup.
The move to reappoint McLeish is understood to have been an ‘unanimous decision’ by the Scottish Football Association board.
The 59-year-old – who won 77 caps for Scotland during his playing career – said in December that ‘the national job is something that would interest me’, and claimed that he still has ‘a lot to give the game’.
His debut in competitive games will be Uefa Nations League matches – against Albania at home in September, then in Israel a month later. Friendly games against Costa Rica and Hungary are scheduled for next month. Glasgow-born McLeish last managed the national team for ten months from January 2007, winning seven of his ten games in charge.
The most memorable was a 1-0 win over France in Paris, the goal courtesy of a stunning 30-yard strike by James McFadden.
But McLeish quit as Scotland manager to join Birmingham City after failing to qualify for the European Championships.
Despite winning the League Cup with Birmingham in 2011, he was unable to prevent the club being relegated from the English Premier League, leading him to step down that summer.
He has also managed Motherwell and Hibernian, as well as English clubs Birmingham City, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, Belgian club Genk and Egyptian team Zamalek.
In recognition of his distinguished service to Scottish sport, in 2008 Mr McLeish was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Aberdeen.
His appointment comes after the Scottish FA failed in its attempt to recruit Michael O’Neill, who instead chose to stay at Northern Ireland.
Walter Smith has also been linked with the role but decided against coming out of retirement – he previously held the Scotland job for three years before leaving for Rangers in 2007.
Scotland have not reached a major finals since the 1998 World Cup in France and the Scottish FA is looking for a new chief executive to replace Stewart Regan.
Mr McLeish is expected to be formally unveiled as the new Scotland manager later today.