Latest news with #McLeish
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Aberdeen drawn Celtic shock blueprint by club legend as ex Rangers boss hands them 'key' to Hampden glory
Jimmy Thelin's men battered 5-1 at Pittodrie earlier this month by Brendan Rodgers' fringe team with the odds stacked against them Alex McLeish has insisted Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin could upset the odds and cause a Cup final shock if he copies his Birmingham blueprint. The Dons find themselves up against it as they go into Saturday's final against treble-chasing Celtic. Brendan Rodgers' fringe team smashed Aberdeen 5-1 at Pittodrie earlier this month and he will bring his big hitters back for the Hampden clash, as they look to complete the domestic clean sweep. The Pittodrie legend was in a similar position in the 2011 League Cup final when his Blues went in against Arsene Wenger's Arsenal. Birmingham came from behind and famously beat the Gunners 2-1 to lift the trophy thanks to Obafemi Martin's last-minute winner. McLeish said: 'You would have to say Celtic will be firm favourites but in a one-off game anything can happen. 'I know that from experience when we lifted the cup at Birmingham City. Not many people fancied us to beat Arsenal but we did. 'We went into that game with a strategy and a plan to stifle their attacking players. 'We worked on it, stuck to it, got a bit of luck and in the end we lifted the cup. 'Jimmy Thelin has to come up with his own strategy that he feels will help Aberdeen get a result against Celtic. 'We all know Celtic are a top team and the odds are against the Dons but we have seen a lot bigger upsets than this throughout the years. 'If Jimmy and his players can get their game plan right then they will give themselves a chance. 'I know the result wasn't great against Celtic the last time out but they did get a good result at Celtic Park in the first game. 'They have done it before and have to believe they can do it again.' This is Thelin's first season in Scotland and McLeish would love it to have a silver-lined ending. He was the last Aberdeen captain to lift the Scottish Cup. That was 35 years ago, when, ironically, they beat Celtic on penalties. McLeish knows it has been a season of contrasting fortunes for former Elfsborg coach Thelin. The former Don admitted: 'The start of the season they were absolutely electric. They were a team who were flying, full of energy and confidence. 'They were up at the top of the league and it was real high tempo stuff, from the pressing to their tracking back. 'They then had a bit of a dip but have found a wee bit more consistency in making the top six. 'If Jimmy and his players can regain that feeling they had at the start of the season and get their tactics right then they will give themselves a chance. 'The key is trying to nullify Celtic's strengths. I know they have a lot and if they can take their chances at the other end then you never know what could happen.' Thelin has already had advice from Aberdeen's greatest-ever manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, this season. He met him at Celtic Park after their 2-2 draw and then was his guest at a Manchester United game. McLeish knows his former manager's approach would be to go and have a go at Celtic and Rangers as he did in Aberdeen's golden era. McLeish lifted four Scottish Cups under him and a fifth under Alex Smith and Jocky Scott. The former Scotland boss acknowledged: 'Listen, you know, the one guy the boss always loved was whenever we played Celtic and Rangers. 'He wanted us to play against them and all the other top teams speed. 'They have speed as well but if you have pace, a bit of thought and there is a game plan then he always thought we could nullify their threats. 'I know the times have changed and Celtic and Rangers are two enormous clubs but one a one-off you can always give them a game and get a result. 'That is what Aberdeen needs to look to do. If would be great if Jimmy could follow in Sir Alex's footsteps and lift the Scottish Cup.' It would also be fitting if they could do it on the anniversary of the club's last Scottish Cup triumph. McLeish was captain that day as it went to penalties and Theo Snelders saved from Anton Rogan and Brian Irvine netted the winner. 'I had some great memories in the Scottish Cup,' McLeish recalled. 'I won it five times so it wasn't a bad competition for me. 'I think I won four under the boss and then the final one under Alex and Jocky (Scott). 'That final one was special. Every cup and league win is special but that day I will remember because I was Aberdeen captain. 'To lift that trophy was special and is a moment I will never forget."
Daily Record
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Alex McLeish reveals Aberdeen Scottish Cup trophy lift warning from Willie Miller as he delivers message to Thelin's men
The Dons head to Hampden on Saturday looking to end their long way to get their hands on the famous old trophy Alex McLeish was warned off the iconic Willie Miller trophy lift the last time Aberdeen got their hands on the Scottish Cup. Jimmy Thelin 's side head to Hampden to take on Celtic next weekend, looking to end the Dons' 35 year wait to get their hands back on the cup. McLeish was the last Aberdeen skipper to get his hands on it when he led Alex Smith and Jocky Scott's team to a dramatic penalty shootout win over Celtic. 'Big Eck' revealed that his former captain and legendary Dons' defensive partner, Miller, had warned him off copying his now famous, one-handed trophy celebration. McLeish said: 'I couldn't have copied Willie and put the outstretched arms because he'd claimed he had copyrighted it. Willie was down my throat telling me I'd better not steal his celebration. 'So I just went with a kind of two-hander and kind of par for the course type cup celebration. "There wasn't anything that I did that different from the normal trophy lift.' McLeish won 12 major trophies in his time at Aberdeen but Miller had been the captain for pretty much all those successes. The 66-year-old will join some of his fellow Scottish Cup-winning heroes next week when they return to Aberdeen for the '1990: The Legends Return' event in the Music Hall. Hans Gillhaus, Theo Snelders, Brian Irvine and Charlie Nicholas will all be part of the event. "I am really looking forward to coming back for the celebrations,' McLeish admitted. 'I am still in regular contact with the boys but it has been a couple of years since I have seen some of them. 'It will be good to catch up and share our memories with the Aberdeen fans. It is hard to believe it has been 35 years and that was the last time Aberdeen last won the Scottish Cup. 'Its incredible. We had that golden era under Sir Alex Ferguson and then Alex and Jocky came in and we won both cups in that 1989-90 season but after that it became difficult when Rangers started throwing money at it and then Celtic got their house in order.' McLeish admitted that the 1990 final won't go down as a Hampden classic and he almost caused Jocky Scott heart failure during the penalty shootout. The former Scotland star recalled: 'My memories are that it wasn't the greatest of games and it went to penalties. We had gone through the first five takers and then Alex and Jocky asked who was taking the sixth? 'I put my hand up and Jocky asked if I was confident I would score? I frightened the life out of him by saying: 'No, but I will put it in my chosen corner with my right foot and if the goalkeeper goes the right way he isn't saving it anyway'. 'I insisted I was the captain and I'm taking responsibility on the sixth penalty. It was a long walk but thankfully I managed to put it away.' Snelders saved from Anton Rogan and allowed Irvine the glory of netting the winning penalty and sinking to his knees in celebration. McLeish recalled: 'Big Brian, to see him putting the ball, the winner, in the net and instantly celebrating the way he did was absolute joy. 'It was a privilege to watch as captain of Aberdeen that day. There is nothing like it. You've still got to treasure and cherish what we've done in that cup final in 1990, against a good Celtic team. "It would be great if the current Aberdeen side could do the same again in this year's final, although it will be tough because Celtic under Brendan Rodgers have proved what a top team they are." 1990: The Legends Return' event is at the Aberdeen Music Hall on Thursday, May 22. McLeish will be joined by Hans Gillhaus, Charlie Nicholas, Brian Irvine and Theo Snelders. Tickets are available at
Scotsman
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scott McTominay on cusp of greatness - the Man Utd meeting that set in motion a Scotland and Napoli idol
Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... When Alex McLeish took a train through the teeth of a storm to keep a Jose Mourinho-arranged appointment with Scott McTominay, he helped set in motion a chain of events that could reach an apotheosis in Italy later this month. McTominay is well on the way to becoming a god in the South – the Italian south. No Scot has ever won the Scudetto but Napoli, with McTominay as a driving force and Billy Gilmour cast as willing auxiliary, are at most three wins and a draw away from doing so. They travel to the heel of the Italian peninsula to face Lecce on Saturday already three points in front of second-placed Internazionale, who host Verona at San Siro in the later kick-off. There are just four games left, with McTominay in sparkling form. 'He is clearly in much stronger form than when he arrived,' said manager Antonio Conte on Friday. 'He never had a primary role at Manchester United, while here we gave him one.' He has become to Napoli what he's long been for Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad McLeish has since rated recruiting McTominay in 2018 as his 'first triumph' in his more trying second spell as Scotland manager. 'It was a wicked night,' he recalled. People were being ordered not to travel unless strictly necessary as the Beast from the East set in. Scott McTominay with Alex McLeish during a Scotland training session in Edinburgh in 2018. (Photo by) | Getty Images Commitment to Scotland McLeish viewed his journey as being of strict national importance – England, the country of McTominay's birth in Lancaster, were understandably interested in calling him up given he was playing an increasingly central part in Mourinho's Manchester United side at the time. McLeish resolved to look in his eyes and discern whether McTominay, whose father is from Helensburgh, wanted to play for Scotland or not. There was no mistaking the burning desire he detected. McLeish is speaking to The Scotsman from another train as he travels through the heart of England once more, this time to see a grandson play in a football tournament in Blackpool. The weather is more clement though reception is patchy. 'Mourinho said to me, 'Alex you should come down, get the big man signed up.' I didn't hesitate,' recalls McLeish. 'It was an ill-fated night in a way, the storm had whipped up!' he continues. 'But I made it anyway. I was determined on behalf of my country to recruit someone who was then just an emerging player.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The meeting took place at Carrington, the club's training ground. McLeish nearly didn't make it. His train terminated at Newcastle due to the weather. 'I had to get to York and then Manchester Piccadilly and it was 4am by the time I checked into my hotel. The receptionist had me down as a no show but he said, 'I'll get you something'. He got me a room.' It was meant to be a breakfast meeting that morning but Mourinho contacted McLeish. 'He said, 'I hear you've had a problem, just come at lunchtime and we'll get Scott into my office,'' he recalls. 'My first question was: 'Big yin, would you like to play for Scotland?' He said: 'I would absolutely love to play for Scotland, that is my first love' – in his big English accent!' Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay is closing in on the Serie A title with Napoli. (Photo by CARLO HERMANN/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images Following footsteps of Maradona Joe Jordan's header v Czechoslovakia, Davie Cooper's penalty v Wales, David Marshall's save v Serbia, ….McTominay saying yes to Scotland. It's proved right up there in terms of significant moments and means the midfielder now stands on the cusp of creating more Scottish football history in Italy. On 11 league goals for the season following last weekend's match-winning double against Torino, McTominay has already surpassed Denis Law's previous record of ten for Torino in Serie A in season 1961-62. Now he has another legend of the game in his sights, someone who can justifiably be regarded as the best footballer of all time. Neapolitans have freebased Diego Maradona since he led them to their first Serie A title in 1987, and in truth from the day he arrived at the club from Barcelona three years earlier. Anyone who has watched the thrilling opening scenes to the documentary that was made about his life by British director Asif Kapadia will remember a visceral ride through teeming streets. The car carrying Maradona and his entourage eventually reaches what was then known as Stadio San Paolo, where he was unveiled at a chaotic press conference that saw the first journalist to ask a question ordered to leave - he had unwisely referenced the Camorra, the Mafia-style scourge of the Naples area. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Almost inevitably, Maradona fell into the crime organisation's clutches. Meanwhile, in a probably not unconnected development, his cocaine use got worse although, for the time being, his central addiction remained football. Neapolitans in turn became dependent on Maradona. Statues were erected and murals daubed on walls. Lives were devoted to him. The adoration remains as clear in the present day as it was then, as a steady stream of Scottish visitors can now attest. Tommy Guthrie, a Dundee United supporter from East Kilbride, had the good fortune to select last weekend's clash v Torino, with McTominay scoring both goals in a 2-0 win. Tickets were purchased online for 35 euros each and in reasonably straightforward fashion considering it's the Serie A leaders we are talking about. The easyJet flight from Gatwick to Naples on a Friday has become the Tartan Army express with kilted football tourists. Napoli fans celebrate winning the Serie A title in 2023 alongside one of many murals of Diego Maradona in Naples, Italy. (Photo by) | Getty Images More venerated than Lukaku 'You go through the city, and Maradona is everywhere,' says Guthrie, who works for the Premier League in England. 'He's all pervasive…Paintings everywhere on walls. There are loads of stalls around, in the centro storico, which is the old town, and even in the main shopping thoroughfares there are stalls selling Napoli gear. Whether it's scarves, fridge magnets and strips with Maradona 10 on the back - they've since retired the number – he is by far the most popular. 'But of the current players, McTominay 8 (his shirt number) is a favourite. You have (Romelu) Lukaku there who is probably the biggest name in the team in a recognisable world context. But I'd say McTominay seems to be more impactful and more venerated.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He was certainly the pivotal figure for Conte's side last Sunday night. Two goals from near-post finishes following trademark late runs put Napoli in the title driving seat (Inter had suffered a home defeat against Roma earlier in the day). The Napoli Tannoy announcer was forced to work overtime. He now has a well-rehearsed gambit where he shouts out 'Scotto! Scotto!' after goals, with the crowd chorusing back in unison: 'Mac-Tom-In-EEE! Mac-Tom-In-EEE!' This can happen seven or eight times after a McTominay goal. Scott McTominay of Napoli celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the Serie A match between Napoli and Torino at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Cr: Getty Images. | Getty Images Can you imagine if Maradona was still around? He'd likely be in Naples for one or indeed both of their final two home fixtures against Genoa and Cagliari at the now renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and he'd be angling for pictures with McTominay, not necessarily the other way around. Of course, the Scot won't ever displace Maradona in terms of affection. No one could. It's distressing to note that at the same time as Napoli are again battling against the odds at the top of Serie A, a court case is ongoing in Argentina to establish the facts surrounding Maradona's death in 2020. It's hard to believe given he seems so central to Napoli's Serie A successes, but, if Napoli can get over the line this season, they will have won the Italian title twice since Maradona passed away after a heart attack following surgery on a brain blood clot at the age of 60. It's taken a while, but life does go on. New heroes emerge, sometimes from the most unlikely places. Saltires are now waved in Curva B, where Napoli's largest ultras group are based in their home stadium, instead of those of Georgia, the homeland of their previous talisman. A banner in the bustling streets of the historic old town depicts the three titles already won - the Maradona-inspired successes in 1987 and 1990 and then 2023, when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the brilliant winger from Tbilisi who's since joined Paris Saint-Germain, was the impetus. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
The National
22-04-2025
- Sport
- The National
McGinn reveals why he listened to his dad, not McLeish
The 30-year-old's trademark move – using his physique to shield the ball, win free-kicks, or roll past defenders – has become a staple of his game since his St Mirren days. But McGinn revealed to Sky Sports that McLeish once screamed at him to 'stop daein' that f***** thing!' "I don't know maybe. Maybe because it's the biggest!" McGinn said when asked if he had the best "bum game" in the English Premier League ahead of Villa's visit to Manchester City on Tuesday night. "There's a few that are really strong - Joelinton, Wellbeck - there are certain players that use their body well. Might not just be their backside, it might just be the fact that they're huge." Read more: McGinn went on to explain how McLeish didn't always appreciate his use of the move. "It used to do his head in. All the Scotland boys will laugh at this, but when I was a lot more inexperienced, he used to shout 'stop daein' that f***** thing!'" McGinn laughed. McLeish's concerns grew after McGinn was caught out by winger Eden Hazard during a match against Belgium. He continued: "There were a couple of times I got caught against Belgium. Hazard was playing and I got caught on the edge of the box and he said 'you'll get away with that in Scottish football, you won't get away with that in international football.'" This left McGinn questioning whether he could continue using the trick at the highest level. However, it was his dad, Stephen, who reminded him of the importance of sticking to his style. "Then my dad reminded me that Kenny Dalglish used it in every single game. He said 'son, Kenny Dalglish used it. Keep doing it and you'll be alright.'" Reflecting on the advice he received from his father, McGinn admitted that it was the best decision to ignore McLeish's warning and follow his dad's counsel. "So thankfully I ignored big Alex McLeish and listened to my dad!" Though he's often joked about his 'bum game,' McGinn remains humble, acknowledging Hazard's brilliance while accepting the comparison with grace. "I hear and see the jokes but I was nowhere near as good as Eden Hazard at using it. I'll take the comparison, but never!" In addition to his unique playing style, McGinn's physique is a crucial part of his success. "It's something I've always had. It's a unique body shape and a unique style. I'm sure it's not for every club or manager, but our manager knows how to use it to our strengths." McGinn's journey shows that sometimes, embracing what makes you different — and taking advice from those who know best — can help you thrive at the highest level. And for McGinn, that means sticking with his own 'bum game.'
The Herald Scotland
22-04-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
McGinn reveals why he listened to his dad, not McLeish
"I don't know maybe. Maybe because it's the biggest!" McGinn said when asked if he had the best "bum game" in the English Premier League ahead of Villa's visit to Manchester City on Tuesday night. "There's a few that are really strong - Joelinton, Wellbeck - there are certain players that use their body well. Might not just be their backside, it might just be the fact that they're huge." Read more: McGinn went on to explain how McLeish didn't always appreciate his use of the move. "It used to do his head in. All the Scotland boys will laugh at this, but when I was a lot more inexperienced, he used to shout 'stop daein' that f***** thing!'" McGinn laughed. McLeish's concerns grew after McGinn was caught out by winger Eden Hazard during a match against Belgium. He continued: "There were a couple of times I got caught against Belgium. Hazard was playing and I got caught on the edge of the box and he said 'you'll get away with that in Scottish football, you won't get away with that in international football.'" This left McGinn questioning whether he could continue using the move at the highest level. However, it was his dad, Stephen, who reminded him of the importance of sticking to his style. "Then my dad reminded me that Kenny Dalglish used it in every single game. He said 'son, Kenny Dalglish used it. Keep doing it and you'll be alright.'" Reflecting on the advice he received from his father, McGinn admitted that it was the best decision to ignore McLeish's warning and follow his dad's counsel. "So thankfully I ignored big Alex McLeish and listened to my dad!" Though he's often joked about his 'bum game,' McGinn remains humble, acknowledging Hazard's brilliance while accepting the comparison with grace. "I hear and see the jokes but I was nowhere near as good as Eden Hazard at using it. I'll take the comparison, but never!" In addition to his unique playing style, McGinn's physique is a crucial part of his success. "It's something I've always had. It's a unique body shape and a unique style. I'm sure it's not for every club or manager, but our manager knows how to use it to our strengths." McGinn's journey shows that sometimes, embracing what makes you different — and taking advice from those who know best — can help you thrive at the highest level. And for McGinn, that means sticking with his own 'bum game.'
