Alexander Cleland (born 10 December 1970) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player who is currently 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.[3] 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.
Whilst at Livi he served as caretaker-manager role on two occasions, firstly after the dismissal of Allan Preston in November 2004.[6] Cleland led the side to a 3–1 win away to Kilmarnock on 27 November, ended a seven-game losing run.[7] Then following the sacking of John Robertson in April 2007[8] which ultimately led to him leaving the club a month later when he failed to become permanent manager.[9]
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.[10] He served as their caretaker manager in October 2011, after Derek McInnes and Tony Docherty left for Bristol City.[11] In June 2018, Cleland was promoted to the position of assistant manager at St Johnstone.[12] He was again put in caretaker charge of St Johnstone in May 2020, after the resignation of Tommy Wright,[13][14] and October 2023, after Steven MacLean was sacked.[15]
^Gracie, Steve (2010). The Shed Go Marching On: Dundee United FC, a Comprehensive History, 1979–2009. Dundee: Arabest Publishing. p. 239. ISBN9780955834127.