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Alec Cleland

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Alec Cleland
Personal information
Full name Alexander Cleland[1]
Date of birth (1970-12-10) 10 December 1970 (age 53)
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 St Johnstone (coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1995 Dundee United 151 (8)
1995–1998 Rangers 96 (4)
1998–2002 Everton 35 (0)
Total 282 (12)
International career
1989–1992 Scotland U21[2] 11 (0)
1998 Scotland B 1 (1)
Managerial career
2004 Livingston (caretaker)
2007 Livingston (joint caretaker)
2011 St Johnstone (caretaker)
2020 St Johnstone (caretaker)
2023 St Johnstone (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alexander Cleland (born 10 December 1970) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player who is currently a coach at St Johnstone.

Cleland played as a defender for Scottish sides Rangers and Dundee United and English team Everton. Although never capped at senior level for Scotland, he did make eleven appearances for the under-21 team. After retiring from football, he moved into coaching. Cleland has had multiple spells as a caretaker manager at both Livingston and St Johnstone.

Playing career

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Cleland started his career with Dundee United, signing as a youth player in 1986. He soon established himself in the reserve team and made his first team debut against Morton in April 1988. By 1990 he was a first team regular, but then broke a leg twice within a few months. After recovering, he was part of the Dundee United team that won the Scottish Cup in 1994.[3] He signed for Rangers in a joint transfer with Gary Bollan in 1995 and established himself in the right-back position at Ibrox. After over 100 appearances for the Glasgow club, he joined Premier League side Everton along with manager Walter Smith in 1998; however, his time in England was blighted with constant injury problems, and he only made 44 appearances before retiring in 2002.

Coaching career

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Cleland was assistant manager to Steve Morrison at East Stirlingshire before joining Partick Thistle in January 2004.[4] On 21 June 2004, Cleland was appointed as youth coach at Livingston, taking over from Paul Hegarty who left to join Dunfermline Athletic.[5]

Whilst at Livi he served as caretaker-manager role on two occasions, firstly after the dismissal of Allan Preston in November 2004.[6] Cleland led the side to a 3–1 win away to Kilmarnock on 27 November, ended a seven-game losing run.[7] Then following the sacking of John Robertson in April 2007[8] which ultimately led to him leaving the club a month later when he failed to become permanent manager.[9]

After leaving Livingston, Cleland coached part-time at Rangers in their Academy before being appointed youth coach at Inverness Caledonian Thistle in January 2008. Following their relegation, Cleland was released as a coach by Inverness Caledonian Thistle to cut costs but shortly afterwards took up a similar position at St Johnstone.[10] He served as their caretaker manager in October 2011, after Derek McInnes and Tony Docherty left for Bristol City.[11] In June 2018, Cleland was promoted to the position of assistant manager at St Johnstone.[12] He was again put in caretaker charge of St Johnstone in May 2020, after the resignation of Tommy Wright,[13][14] and October 2023, after Steven MacLean was sacked.[15]

Career statistics

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Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Scotland League Scottish Cup League Cup Europe Total
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
1987–88 Dundee United Scottish Premier Division 1 0 – – – 1 0
1988–89 9 0 – 2 0 1 0 12 0
1989–90 15 0 – – 2 1 17 1
1990–91 21 2 – 4 0 4 1 29 3
1991–92 32 4 1 0 1 0 – 34 4
1992–93 24 0 1 0 3 0 – 28 0
1993–94 31 1 7 0 2 0 1 0 41 1
1994–95 18 1 – 2 0 1 0 21 1
Rangers 10 0 N/A – N/A 10 0
1995–96 25 1 5 3 3 0 4 0 37 4
1996–97 32 0 3 0 4 0 6 0 45 0
1997–98 29 3 5 0 3 0 4 0 41 3
1998–99 Everton Premier League 18 0 1 0 3 0 – 22 0
1999–00 9 0 1 0 2 0 – 12 0
2000–01 5 0 – 2 0 – 7 0
2001–02 3 0 – – – 3 0
Career total 281 12 24 3 31 0 23 2 359 17

Honours

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Dundee United
1993–94
Rangers
1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97
1995–96
1996–97

References

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  1. ^ "Alec Cleland". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Alex Cleland". fitbastats.com. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  3. ^ Gracie, Steve (2010). The Shed Go Marching On: Dundee United FC, a Comprehensive History, 1979–2009. Dundee: Arabest Publishing. p. 239. ISBN 9780955834127.
  4. ^ "Shire boss Morrison resigns". BBC Sport. 12 March 2004.
  5. ^ "Cleland replaces Hegarty". BBC Sport. 21 June 2004.
  6. ^ "Livingston sack manager Preston". BBC Sport. 25 November 2004.
  7. ^ "Kilmarnock 1-3 Livingston". BBC Sport. 27 November 2004.
  8. ^ "Rix in running for Livingston job". BBC Sport. 17 April 2007.
  9. ^ "Cleland leaves Livi coaching role". BBC Sport. 25 May 2007.
  10. ^ Halliday, Stephen (28 March 2016). "Where are they now? Rangers' 9-in-a-row clinching team". The Scotsman.
  11. ^ "Alec Cleland keen on St Johnstone manager's job". BBC Sport. 22 October 2011.
  12. ^ "St Johnstone: Alex Cleland replaces Callum Davidson as Tommy Wright's assistant". BBC Sport. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  13. ^ McFarlane, Jonathan. "Alec Cleland appointed St Johnstone caretaker boss after Tommy Wright exit". Daily Record. 2 May 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  14. ^ McLauchlin, Brian (18 June 2020). "Callum Davidson: St Johnstone appoint former player as boss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  15. ^ "St Johnstone: Steven MacLean leaves manager's post after winless start". BBC Sport. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
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