Early Life
McLeish was born in Methil, Fife into a coal mining family. Educated at Buckhaven High School, he left school in 1963 at the age of 15 to become a schoolboy professional football player at Leeds United and represented Scotland as a youth international. However, after six weeks he was suffering from homesickness and moved back to Scotland, where he joined Scottish Football League club East Fife. Unforunately, his footballing career was cut short by injury, and he then returned to education, studying at Heriot-Watt University, where he graduated with a BA (Hons) in Urban Planning.
After graduating, McLeish worked as a research officer at Edinburgh Corporation's department of social work 1973-1974, then as a planning officer for Fife County Council 1974-1975 and Dunfermline District Council 1975-1987. He also worked as a part-time lecturer and tutor at Heriot-Watt University 1973-1986.
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