Alec Cleland

{{Infobox football biography

| image =

| name= Alec Cleland

| fullname = Alexander Cleland{{Hugman|3641|accessdate=26 March 2017}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|12|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland

| height =

| currentclub = St Johnstone (coach)

| position = Defender

| youthyears1=

| youthclubs1=

| years1 = 1987–1995 | years2 = 1995–1998 | years3 =1998–2002

| clubs1 = Dundee United | clubs2 = Rangers | clubs3 = Everton

| manageryears1 = 2004

| managerclubs1= Livingston (caretaker)

| manageryears2 = 2007

| managerclubs2= Livingston (joint caretaker)

| manageryears3 = 2011

| managerclubs3 = St Johnstone (caretaker)

| manageryears4 = 2020

| managerclubs4 = St Johnstone (caretaker)

| manageryears5 = 2023

| managerclubs5 = St Johnstone (caretaker)

| nationalyears1= 1989–1992

| nationalyears2= 1998

| nationalteam1= Scotland U21{{cite web|url=http://www.fitbastats.com/scotlandu21/player.php?playerid=161 |title=Alex Cleland |work=fitbastats.com |access-date=11 October 2012}}

| nationalteam2 = Scotland B

| nationalcaps1= 11 | nationalgoals1 =0

| nationalcaps2= 1 | nationalgoals2 =1

}}

Alexander Cleland (born 10 December 1970) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player who is 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

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.{{cite book |last1=Gracie |first1=Steve |title=The Shed Go Marching On: Dundee United FC, a Comprehensive History, 1979–2009 |date=2010 |publisher=Arabest Publishing |location=Dundee |isbn=9780955834127 |page=239}} 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

Cleland was assistant manager to Steve Morrison at East Stirlingshire before joining Partick Thistle in January 2004.{{ cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/e/east_stirlingshire/3505016.stm | title=Shire boss Morrison resigns | publisher=BBC Sport | date=12 March 2004 }} On 21 June 2004, Cleland was appointed as youth coach at Livingston, taking over from Paul Hegarty who left to join Dunfermline Athletic.{{ cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dunfermline_athletic/3822159.stm | title=Cleland replaces Hegarty | date=21 June 2004 | publisher=BBC Sport }}

Whilst at Livi he served as caretaker-manager role on two occasions, firstly after the dismissal of Allan Preston in November 2004.{{ cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/livingston/4042331.stm | title=Livingston sack manager Preston | publisher=BBC Sport | date=25 November 2004 }} Cleland led the side to a 3–1 win away to Kilmarnock on 27 November, ended a seven-game losing run.{{ cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/4044431.stm | title=Kilmarnock 1-3 Livingston | publisher=BBC Sport | date=27 November 2004 }} Then following the sacking of John Robertson in April 2007{{ cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/livingston/6559871.stm | title=Rix in running for Livingston job | publisher=BBC Sport | date=17 April 2007 }} which ultimately led to him leaving the club a month later when he failed to become permanent manager.{{ cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/livingston/6692801.stm | title=Cleland leaves Livi coaching role | publisher=BBC Sport | date=25 May 2007 }}

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.{{cite news | url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/rangers/where-are-they-now-rangers-9-in-a-row-clinching-team-1-4084133 | title=Where are they now? Rangers' 9-in-a-row clinching team |work=The Scotsman | first=Stephen |last=Halliday | date=28 March 2016 }} He served as their caretaker manager in October 2011, after Derek McInnes and Tony Docherty left for Bristol City.{{ cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/15416381 | title=Alec Cleland keen on St Johnstone manager's job | publisher=BBC Sport | date=22 October 2011 }} In June 2018, Cleland was promoted to the position of assistant manager at St Johnstone.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44630473 |title=St Johnstone: Alex Cleland replaces Callum Davidson as Tommy Wright's assistant |publisher=BBC Sport |date=27 June 2018 |access-date=27 June 2018}} He was again put in caretaker charge of St Johnstone in May 2020, after the resignation of Tommy Wright,{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/alec-cleland-appointed-st-johnstone-21963227?1 |title=Alec Cleland appointed St Johnstone caretaker boss after Tommy Wright exit |first=Jonathan |last=McFarlane |newspaper=Daily Record |publisher=2 May 2020 |access-date=2 May 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53084118 |first=Brian |last=McLauchlin |title=Callum Davidson: St Johnstone appoint former player as boss |publisher=BBC Sport |date=18 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020}} and October 2023, after Steven MacLean was sacked.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67246397 |title=St Johnstone: Steven MacLean leaves manager's post after winless start |publisher=BBC Sport |date=29 October 2023 |accessdate=29 October 2023}}

Career statistics

colspan=3 \| Club performance ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| League Cup ! colspan=2 \| Continental ! colspan=2 \| Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Season	Club	League ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals
colspan=3 \| Scotland ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Scottish Cup ! colspan=2 \| League Cup ! colspan=2 \| Europe ! colspan=2 \| Total
colspan=3 \| England ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| FA Cup ! colspan=2 \| League Cup ! colspan=2 \| Europe ! colspan=2 \| Total
1987–88	rowspan="8"\|Dundee United	rowspan="12"\|Scottish Premier Division	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	colspan="2"\|–	colspan="2"\|–	1	0
1988–89	9	0	colspan="2"\|–	2	0	1	0	12	0
1989–90	15	0	colspan="2"\|–	colspan="2"\|–	2	1	17	1
1990–91	21	2	colspan="2"\|–	4	0	4	1	29	3
1991–92	32	4	1	0	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	34	4
1992–93	24	0	1	0	3	0	colspan="2"\|–	28	0
1993–94	31	1	7	0	2	0	1	0	41	1
rowspan="2"\|1994–95	18	1	colspan="2"\|–	2	0	1	0	21	1
rowspan="4"\|Rangers	10	0	colspan="2"\|N/A	colspan="2"\|–	colspan="2"\|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	rowspan="4"\|Everton	rowspan="4"\|Premier League	18	0	1	0	3	0	colspan="2"\|–	22	0
1999–00	9	0	1	0	2	0	colspan="2"\|–	12	0
2000–01	5	0	colspan="2"\|–	2	0	colspan="2"\|–	7	0
2001–02	3	0	colspan="2"\|–	colspan="2"\|–	colspan="2"\|–	3	0
colspan=3 \| Career total !281\|\|12\|\|24\|\|3\|\|31\|\|0\|\|23\|\|2\|\|359\|\|17