Murdo MacLeod

{{for multi|the snooker player|Murdo MacLeod (snooker player)|the Scottish historian|Murdo J. MacLeod}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Murdo MacLeod

| image =

| fullname = Murdo Davidson MacLeod

| height = 1.78 m{{{Cite web |title=Murdo MacLeod |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/murdo-macleod/ |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=worldfootball.net |language=en}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|9|24|df=y}}

| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Glasgow Amateurs

| years1 = 1975–1978 | caps1 = 90 | goals1 = 9 | clubs1 = Dumbarton

| years2 = 1978–1987 | caps2 = 281 | goals2 = 55 | clubs2 = Celtic

| years3 = 1987–1990 | caps3 = 103 | goals3 = 4 | clubs3 = Borussia Dortmund

| years4 = 1990–1993 | caps4 = 78 | goals4 = 2 | clubs4 = Hibernian

| years5 = 1993–1995 | caps5 = 66 | goals5 = 1 | clubs5 = Dumbarton

| years6 = 1995–1997 | caps6 = 1 | goals6 = 0 | clubs6 = Partick Thistle

| totalcaps = 619 | totalgoals = 71

| nationalyears1 = 1978 | nationalteam1 = Scottish League XI

| nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1985–1991 | nationalteam2 = Scotland

| nationalcaps2 = 20 | nationalgoals2 = 1

| manageryears1 = 1993–1995 | managerclubs1 = Dumbarton

| manageryears2 = 1995–1997 | managerclubs2 = Partick Thistle

}}

Murdo Davidson MacLeod{{cite web | url = http://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/players/murdodavidsonmacleod.html | title = Murdo MacLeod | publisher = London Hearts | access-date = 26 May 2012}} (born 24 September 1958 in Glasgow) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager. MacLeod, who played as a midfielder, made 20 appearances for Scotland and played in the 1990 World Cup Finals. He had a successful club career, mainly with Dumbarton, Celtic, Borussia Dortmund and Hibernian. He then became a manager during the mid-1990s, serving both Dumbarton and Partick Thistle. MacLeod then returned to Celtic as assistant manager, enjoying a successful season in tandem with Wim Jansen. Since leaving Celtic as a result of Jansen's departure from Celtic Park in 1998, MacLeod has worked as a football pundit for newspapers, radio and television.

Playing career

MacLeod made his name with Dumbarton in the mid-1970s. He earned selection by the Scottish League in 1978, playing in a 1–1 draw against the Italian League.{{cite news|url=http://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/players/murdomacleod.html|title=Murdo MacLeod|work=Londonhearts.com|publisher=London Hearts Supporters' Club|access-date=12 December 2011}} MacLeod moved to Celtic later that year for a £100,000 transfer fee.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19830506&id=lMRAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9qUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3108,1218315 |first=Ian |last=Paul |title=MacLeod refuses to re-sign for Celtic |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=6 May 1983 |access-date=7 October 2012}} During his nine years at Celtic Park, MacLeod won four league titles, two Scottish Cups and one League Cup. MacLeod scored a goal that helped Celtic win the league championship in 1979, in a decisive match against Rangers. In 2000, Celtic supporters voted that it was the greatest ever goal scored in an Old Firm derby game.

MacLeod rejected a contract offer from Celtic in May 1987{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19870514&id=4yo1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=u6ULAAAAIBAJ&pg=4820,3628334 |first=Jim |last=Reynolds |title=MacLeod joins list of Parkhead rebels |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=14 May 1987 |access-date=7 October 2012}} and moved to German club Borussia Dortmund a month later.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19870615&id=k0w1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=WqYLAAAAIBAJ&pg=3784,4688036 |first=Jim |last=Reynolds |title=Johnston opts to sign for Nantes |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=15 June 1987 |access-date=7 October 2012}} MacLeod played in 103 Bundesliga games during four years at the Westfalenstadion. He won the German Cup and Super Cup in 1989.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dfb.de/dfb-pokal/spieltag/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F560862 |title=DFB-Pokal, 1988/1989, Finale |date=10 May 2014 |publisher=dfb.de |access-date=9 November 2020}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.dfb.de/supercup/das-spiel/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F1969426 |title=Deutscher Supercup, 1989, Finale |date=16 October 2014 |publisher=dfb.de |access-date=9 November 2020}} He returned to Scotland with Hibernian, where he captained the club to a victory in the 1991 Scottish League Cup Final.

MacLeod had to wait until late in his career before becoming a Scotland regular. He made his debut appearance as a substitute against England in the 1985 Rous Cup. He made his first starting appearance for Scotland in October 1986, aged 28.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19861015&id=E4JDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=q6UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4025,3727149 |first=Jim |last=Reynolds |title=MacLeod finally earns his Scotland place |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |date=15 October 1986 |access-date=7 October 2012}} MacLeod went on to win a total of 20 caps, playing in the 1990 FIFA World Cup tournament.

Coaching career

After a successful playing career, he returned to Dumbarton as player-coach. He guided the club to promotion from the Second Division with a last day win over Stirling Albion in 1995. In the summer of 1995, MacLeod left the Sons to manage Premier Division club Partick Thistle. MacLeod's tenure at Firhill was unsuccessful, as the club were relegated at the end of the 1995–96 season. He re-joined Celtic as assistant coach under Wim Jansen, where he helped the club win a league and Scottish League Cup double in 1997–98, their only season in charge.

Media work

MacLeod has written for the Daily Record and commentated on football for BBC Scotland and BBC Radio Scotland. MacLeod has also worked as a Scottish football analyst on Newstalk radio in Ireland. In 2012, he starred on the CBeebies show "My Story" with his grandsons, Murdo Jr. and Ross.{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/scotland-legend-murdo-macleod-remembers-1339135 |title=Scotland legend Murdo MacLeod looks back on infamous game with Brazil that left him dazed |first=Steve |last=Hendry |date=23 September 2012 |access-date=4 November 2012 |work=Daily Record }}

Personal life

MacLeod was admitted to Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank during January 2010 to have a heart operation.{{cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/8465385.stm |title= Ex-Celt Murdo MacLeod makes progress from heart surgery |publisher=BBC Sport |date=21 January 2010 | access-date = 26 May 2012}}

MacLeod endorsed the Conservative Party in the 2010 General Election, campaigning for their candidate in the Argyll & Bute constituency.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/scotland/8657486.stm |title=Ex-Scotland footballer Murdo MacLeod backs Tories |publisher=BBC News |date=3 May 2010 |access-date=4 May 2010}} During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum he was a supporter of the Better Together campaign against Scottish independence.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/independence-referendum-football-legends-unite-4173636 |title=Independence referendum: Football legends unite to back Better Together campaign – Daily Record |author=Torcuil Crichton |work=dailyrecord |accessdate=8 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906203231/http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/independence-referendum-football-legends-unite-4173636 |archive-date=6 September 2014 }}

Honours

= Player =

Celtic

Scottish Premier Division (4): 1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1985–86
Scottish Cup (2): 1979–80, 1984–85
Scottish League Cup (1): 1982–83

Borussia Dortmund

DFB-Pokal (1): 1988–89
DFB-Supercup (1): 1989{{ cite web | url = https://www.dfb.de/supercup/das-spiel/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F1969426 | title = DFB-Supercup 1989 | publisher = DFB | access-date = 21 November 2023 | language = de }}

Hibernian

Scottish League Cup (1): 1991–92

Scotland

Rous Cup: 1985{{ cite web | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19850527&printsec=frontpage&hl=en | page = 15 | newspaper = Glasgow Herald | title = Rous-ing win for makeshift Scots | date = 27 May 1985 | via = Google News Archive }}