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McLeish set to be unveiled as Scotland boss

Former Birmingham and Hibs boss understood to be returning to national team role.

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Alex McLeish will this morning be unveiled as Scotland’s new manager after agreeing to return to the Hampden hotseat, Press Association Sport understands.

The former national team boss is set to be presented to the media at 11.30am after agreeing a two-year deal to replace Gordon Strachan.

Hampden chiefs have spent the best part of four months searching for a new boss but have now returned to the 59-year-old for a second stint in charge after failing to land their first choice Michael O’Neill.

McLeish – who had a successful 10-game stint in charge of the side back in 2007 – travelled to Glasgow on Wednesday to meet the Scottish Football Association board and impressed them enough to get its unanimous backing.

Final details of his contract – which for now spans only the new Nations League campaign and the Euro 2020 qualifiers – were thrashed out on Thursday and McLeish will now set about preparing the squad for next month’s friendly clashes with Costa Rica and Hungary.

The appointment of the former Hibernian, Rangers, Birmingham and Aston Villa boss concludes the drawn-out and heavily-criticised hunt for Strachan’s successor.

Gordon Strachan failed to guide Scotland to this summer's World Cup finals
Gordon Strachan failed to guide Scotland to this summer’s World Cup finals (Adam Davy/PA)

Walter Smith also emerged as a contender for the job in recent weeks but heaped fresh turmoil on Hampden bosses earlier this week as he withdrew from the race.

That opened the door for McLeish to make his return to management two years after leaving his last posting with Egyptian outfit Zamalek.

The former Aberdeen and Scotland defender was first appointed to the Scotland job back in January 2007.

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