Soccer-Scot McLeish returns to management with Racing Genk

Reuters

BRUSSELS, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Former Aston Villa, Rangers and Scotland manager Alex McLeish has been appointed head coach of Belgian first division club Racing Genk, Belgian media reported on Friday. The 55-year-old McLeish, who played nearly 500 games as a central defender for Aberdeen and represented Scotland 77 times, had been out of work since leaving English Championship (second tier) club Nottingham Forest last year. Genk are 13th in the 16-club Belgian first division, a situation similar to that McLeish faced at Birmingham City, where he guided the club to success in the English League Cup final in 2011, but was twice relegated, before joining Villa. He lasted only one season at Villa before a brief spell with Forest. "KRC Genk is proud to present its new trainer: Alex McLeish. He signed a contract for two seasons. Welcome Mr Alex McLeish," Genk said on their Facebook page. McLeish succeeded Emilio Ferrera who was dismissed following Genk's 3-1 defeat by Mechelen in their opening league fixture. (Reporting by Tim Collings, editing by Ed Osmond)