8: ALEX McLEISH – Never one to sidestep a potentially hostile situation, on or off the pitch!

Dion's Gaffer Tapes

Alex McLeish made nearly 700 appearances for Aberdeen during his 16 years at the club, and is rightly regarded as a Scottish football legend. During his time at Pittodrie, he was managed by the one and only Sir Alex Ferguson who thought so highly of the no nonsense centre half, that he wanted a 30 year old McLeish to follow him south to Manchester United, but the deal sadly fell through when The Dons asked for too much money. McLeish must wonder what may have been, but while he never got his chance to play in England, he managed in England in the premier league, most noticeably making the controversial move straight from Birmingham City to bitter rivals Aston Villa in 2011 after the blues got relegated from the top flight. Not one to shy away from hostile environments, he’s managed Rangers through many an old firm derby against rivals Celtic, been in the hotseat at Nottingham Forest, Motherwell and Hibs and has held the post of Scotland manager for two spells to date.