Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Alexander Cleland[1] | ||
Date of birth | 10 December 1970 | ||
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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]- Dundee United
- Scottish Cup: 1
- Rangers
- Scottish Cup: 1
References
[edit]- ^ "Alec Cleland". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ^ "Alex Cleland". fitbastats.com. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ^ Gracie, Steve (2010). The Shed Go Marching On: Dundee United FC, a Comprehensive History, 1979–2009. Dundee: Arabest Publishing. p. 239. ISBN 9780955834127.
- ^ "Shire boss Morrison resigns". BBC Sport. 12 March 2004.
- ^ "Cleland replaces Hegarty". BBC Sport. 21 June 2004.
- ^ "Livingston sack manager Preston". BBC Sport. 25 November 2004.
- ^ "Kilmarnock 1-3 Livingston". BBC Sport. 27 November 2004.
- ^ "Rix in running for Livingston job". BBC Sport. 17 April 2007.
- ^ "Cleland leaves Livi coaching role". BBC Sport. 25 May 2007.
- ^ Halliday, Stephen (28 March 2016). "Where are they now? Rangers' 9-in-a-row clinching team". The Scotsman.
- ^ "Alec Cleland keen on St Johnstone manager's job". BBC Sport. 22 October 2011.
- ^ "St Johnstone: Alex Cleland replaces Callum Davidson as Tommy Wright's assistant". BBC Sport. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ McFarlane, Jonathan. "Alec Cleland appointed St Johnstone caretaker boss after Tommy Wright exit". Daily Record. 2 May 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ McLauchlin, Brian (18 June 2020). "Callum Davidson: St Johnstone appoint former player as boss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- ^ "St Johnstone: Steven MacLean leaves manager's post after winless start". BBC Sport. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
External links
[edit]- Alec Cleland at Soccerbase