Scot 100: BBC's Liam McLeod picks his greatest XI

The Away End have launched our search for the greatest 100 players in Scottish football history. BBC commentator Liam McLeod picks the greatest XI he has witnessed in his era, and explains why it would have a Dons flavour to it.

 

Goalkeeper: For me, there are only three runners for this position in my time. Andy Goram, Theo Snelders and the man who gets it, Jim Leighton.

Leighton is my keeper because of how good he was in his latter career at Hibernian, back at Aberdeen and how he recovered from the knock-backs he received, particularly after the FA Cup final in 1990 where he was made a scapegoat by Alex Ferguson.

He returned to Scotland with Dundee at the age of 32 having been jettisoned from Old Trafford.

After a poor spell, he fought back to return to the international fold (who can forget that superb performance against Sweden at Ibrox?) after a superb spell at Hibernian, before returning to his first love Aberdeen where he would play until the age of 41.

His career did not deserve to end with a broken jaw at Hampden.

 

I only caught the tail end of Miller's career, but you could see the class, he just seemed to sweep up everything. If Big Eck made a mistake (which wasn't often) Miller was there to bail him out.

McLeish is easily the best commanding centre half I've ever seen in Scottish Football.

These guys would go for a frightening amount in the modern-day transfer market.

Full-backs: I found this the most difficult area of the team to fill.

In other countries this is a stand-out position, but in Scotland I can't remember many right or left backs who have stood out.

I always remember Tom Boyd lifting the Scottish Cup for Motherwell in 1991 and continuing to lift trophies with Celtic after his spell at Chelsea. I'll forgive him for the heartbreaker in Paris in 1998 against Brazil.

He was also just the second Celtic captain to guide the club to a domestic treble.

Maurice Malpas is at left-back because he was Mr Consistency. He was never injured! A true Dundee United legend. He also seemed to go on forever, retiring in 2000 after an amazing 617 appearances for the club.

He's also the only Tangerine in the SFA's hall of fame.

Midfield: Jim Bett's my anchor in midfield. I genuinely believe he could have played for just about any team. He could pass the ball like nobody else when he was at the peak of his powers.

Growing up, he was always my favourite player when I was a lad sitting in Pittodrie's south stand.

Like so many others, the fact he only has 21 Scotland caps is outrageous!

Two Rangers legends are in the middle too.

Davie Cooper was someone you would dread your team coming up against. Like Boyd, a hero of the Motherwell side that won the Scottish Cup and like Bett, an unbelievably small number of Scotland caps.

Brian Laudrup was the best foreigner to play in Scottish Football in the 1990s. In an era packed with non-entities from abroad, Laudrup was class and would be worth a lot more nowadays. Incredible to think it's 18 years since Rangers signed him.

Just ahead of those three is Eoin Jess.

Forget those who talk about "unfulfilled" talent, this guy was unreal and had it not been for a shocking, leg-breaking challenge in a cup tie against Clydebank in the early 90s (yes Martin McIntosh, I'm talking to you) Jess would have been the success he deserved to be, I'm sure of that.

I'll never forget his shock inclusion to the starting line-up for the 1989 League Cup final.

Strikers: Easy. Ally McCoist and Henrik Larsson by a distance.

McCoist always seemed to score, like every week. He was always the striker you hoped was suspended when your team came up against Rangers.

His goal against Norway at Hampden Park in 1989 that took Scotland into the World Cup finals the year after is what I remember him most fondly for.

I can't say anything else about Larsson that hasn't been said before. If Laudrup was the best foreigner of the 90s, Larsson was the best of the 00s. I'll leave it up to others to decide who was the best overall out of those two, but 174 goals in 221 appearances for Celtic is an outrageous tally.

 

     Leighton

Boyd  McLeish Miller Malpas

     Laudrup Bett Cooper

      Jess

       McCoist Larsson

 Who would you pick? Vote now at http://kwiksurveys.com?u=top100