Scots MP reveals celebrity A-listers he taught golf at world famous hotel
EXCLUSIVE: Brian Leishman taught footballers, singers and movie stars during his time at Gleneagles.
A Scottish MP has revealed a list of celebrities A-listers who he coached at golf at a world-famous Scottish hotel.
Labour's Brian Leishman taught footballers, singers and movie stars during his time at Gleneagles.
The Alloa and Grangemouth MP gave lessons to Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, global pop sensation Shakira and Grease star John Travolta.
He also taught Paisley actor Gerard Butler, Scotland football legend Gary Caldwell, English chef Heston Blumenthal and 66 Miss World contestants.
But he said his work as an MP was "harder" than teaching A-listers how to swing clubs.
Leishman said Shakira - best known for her 2006 number one 'Hips Don't Lie' - showed talent.
He said: "Shakira was very athletic. From being a complete rank and file beginner, she took to it brilliantly. She had a lesson every day for about six or seven days and she could strike it really well."
But Welsh footballer Giggs struggled: " I'm never going to [say who was the worst celeb I taught]. It's a sliding scale from being very good to not being so good.
" I'll never ever say a golfer's the worst, but Ryan Giggs should stick to football."
Leishman added that the Machester United legend was not as good as former Celtic centre-back Caldwell - who scored the only goal of Scotland's famous 2006 victory over France.
Gerard Butler, star of historical action film 300, and American actor Travolta both received one-off lessons in the driving range at the hotel.
Leishman was a professional golfer before being elected as an MP in July last year.
He said he loved his job at the Perthshire resort: "I was there from November 2007 to January 2012.
"I was a teaching pro so I would do individual lessons, group lessons. Playing rounds on the golf course, which is an absolute treat. Getting to play the course three or four times a week - it was brilliant. I loved it."
Leishman said the celebrities "were absolutely brilliant, honestly. Really, really pleasant.
"The kind of unwritten rule was that you don't ask about their professional lives. They're there to rest and relax."
Leishman said his current job was more difficult: "Being an MP is much more important. It's much harder but it's also much more rewarding as well.
" I've basically got about 72,000 bosses now in my constituency that I'm answerable to.
" I've been a golf pro for 23 years, I've been an MP for now 11 months. This is the best job I've ever had. What a responsibility it is, what a privilege it is."
But he refused to pick one celebrity he would love to teach: "Heroes are for kids. You should never meet your heroes or you'll be disappointed."
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