Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish is to receive an honorary degree in the Scottish city where he made his name as a player, it has been announced.

McLeish will be honoured by Aberdeen University at its summer graduation ceremonies next month.

The former Scotland football manager made almost 500 appearances for Aberdeen in their highly successful side of the 1980s, and played 77 times for Scotland.  His management career began at Motherwell, before he moved to Hibernian and then Rangers, winning two SPL titles and five cups with the Glasgow club.

The former defender, nicknamed Big Eck, then took the top job with the national team, narrowly missing out on qualification for Euro 2008 during a campaign in which he led the Scots to a famous victory over France in the Parc des Princes.

A member of the Scottish Football Hall of Fame, McLeish will be awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa on July 3.

Professor Stephen Logan, senior vice principal of Aberdeen University, said: "We are proud that Alex McLeish has agreed to accept an honorary degree.

"As captain of Aberdeen FC and as a Scottish internationalist he always led by example, and he carried on that winning mentality into his career in management.

"While the 1-0 victory over France will live long in the memory of all Scotland fans, Alex has always conducted himself in a dignified and eloquent fashion, often under an intense media glare, and it is fitting that he is recognised by the university as one of Scotland's most distinguished sportsmen."