with Hamilton Accies. After a local cup final with Glasgow United in 1976 which was watched by a delegation from Aberdeen, including then manager Ally MacLeod, McLeish signed for the Pittodrie club the following day. Playing career Club McLeish spent the majority of his first two seasons at Aberdeen in the reserves and also had a loan spell at local Junior side Lewis United. He made his competitive debut under Billy McNeill in a New Year fixture against Dundee United on 2 January 1978. His first major final appearance was under the management of Alex Ferguson as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat to Rangers in the 1978–79 League Cup and most of his appearances during the 1970s were as a midfielder, with Willie Garner and Doug Rougvie preferred in defence. However McLeish eventually made the centre-back position his own, and over the next seven seasons he enjoyed great success, winning eight domestic and two European trophies. Highlights included scoring in a 4–1 victory over Rangers in the 1982 Scottish Cup Final on his 200th Dons appearance, and a vital goal against Bayern Munich during the campaign leading to the European Cup Winners' Cup win over Real Madrid in 1983. During this period, McLeish formed a formidable defensive triumvirate with Willie Miller and Jim Leighton for both club and country. Even after he had won his first Scotland cap, McLeish's father asked then Aberdeen boss Alex Ferguson to persuade him to continue training as an accountant. When Ferguson left in 1986 to go to Manchester United, he tried to get McLeish to sign, but it did not work out; he also had talks with Tottenham Hotspur. A testimonial match was arranged for McLeish in December 1988, with the club's 'Gothenburg' (Cup Winners' Cup) squad taking on an 'International legends' team. He won the Scottish player of the year in 1990, after a season in which Aberdeen won both domestic cups. He became captain of Aberdeen after the retirement of Willie Miller. His 692 competitive appearances for the club ranks as the second-most in its history (100 behind Miller, but almost 100 more than Bobby Clark). International McLeish is Scotland's third most capped player, having gained 77 international caps between 1980 and 1993. He was first capped for the Scotland under-21 team while still a reserve player at Aberdeen by his former club manager Ally MacLeod, eventually gaining six caps at