Murdo MacLeod
Scottish midfielder with a successful spell at Celtic, Dortmund, and Hibernian, who also managed clubs and returned as an assistant under Wim Jansen.
Murdo MacLeod is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager born on 24 September 1958 in Glasgow. Playing as a midfielder, he made 20 appearances for Scotland and featured in the 1990 World Cup Finals. His club career included stints at Dumbarton, Celtic, Borussia Dortmund, and Hibernian. He later managed Dumbarton and Partick Thistle before serving as assistant manager to Wim Jansen at Celtic.
- Role
- Midfielder
- Years at Celtic
- Nine years (approx. 1978–1987)
- Key Honours
- Scottish Premier Division (4), Scottish Cup (2), League Cup (1), DFB-Pokal, DFB-
- Notable Achievement
- Scored the decisive league-winning goal against Rangers in 1979; voted greatest
- Total Appearances for Scotland
- 20
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
MacLeod made his name with Dumbarton in the mid-1970s before moving to Celtic later that year for a £100,000 fee. During his nine years at Celtic Park, he won four league titles, two Scottish Cups, and one League Cup. He scored a goal against Rangers in 1979 that helped secure the league championship; in 2000, supporters voted it the greatest ever goal in an Old Firm derby. After rejecting a contract offer in May 1987, he joined Borussia Dortmund, playing 103 Bundesliga games and winning the German Cup and Super Cup in 1989. He returned to Scotland with Hibernian, captaining them to victory in the 1991 Scottish League Cup Final.
In Their Own Story
He went on to win a total of 20 caps and played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup tournament. His international rise came late in his career, but he became a regular fixture for the national side.
Reader's Guide
MacLeod began his coaching career at Dumbarton as player-coach, guiding the club to promotion from the Second Division with a last-day win over Stirling Albion in 1995. He then managed Partick Thistle but was relegated at the end of the 1995–96 season. He returned to Celtic as assistant coach under Wim Jansen, helping win a league and Scottish League Cup double in 1997–98. Following Jansen's departure in 1998, MacLeod worked as a football pundit for newspapers, radio, and television.
Did You Know?
- In 2000, Celtic supporters voted MacLeod's 1979 goal against Rangers as the greatest ever goal scored in an Old Firm derby game.
- MacLeod captained Hibernian to victory in the 1991 Scottish League Cup Final.
- He starred on the CBeebies show 'My Story' with his grandsons, Murdo Jr. and Ross, in 2012.
- During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, MacLeod supported the Better Together campaign.
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