Scott McGleish (born February 10, 1974) is an English footballer who plays for Leverstock Green, in addition to serving as an assistant manager. In a career spanning 32 years across four decades, McGleish has made over 900 league appearances. He is one of the few players to have ever passed 1,100 games in competitive matches.

Career

Charlton Athletic McGleish was born in Barnet, Greater London. He began his career at non-league Edgware Town in 1993, before being scouted by league club Charlton Athletic. At the age of 20, McGleish was loaned to Leyton Orient for the first of four spells at the club. During this loan, he made six appearances and scored his first senior goal in league football. He returned to Charlton but made only a limited number of starts. He then moved to Peterborough United, where he made only a few substitute appearances. He was sent out on loans to Colchester United and Cambridge United.

1997–2007 He was subsequently sold to his previous club, Leyton Orient, now holding a constant place in the team, and in his one-year spell back at Brisbane Road he scored seven goals. After this single season he was sold to Barnet, where he stayed for four years and had a goals-to-game ratio of a goal every 3.6 games. He then returned to Colchester United, where he averaged a similar goal-scoring tally. He moved to Northampton Town in 2004 under a Bosman transfer and was their player of the year in his first season. In 2006, he retained the player of the season accolade, Northampton's first player for 31 years to do so. The same season, he scored 24 goals as Northampton won promotion. He signed a new two-year contract in June 2006.

Wycombe Wanderers He joined Wycombe Wanderers on 25 January 2007 for an undisclosed fee from Northampton Town, signing a two-year contract.

McGleish was loaned out to his former club Northampton Town on 28 October 2008 for a month's loan lasting until 25 November, wearing shirt number 27. He scored his first goal in his second spell in a first-round FA Cup tie at Elland Road against Leeds United on 7 November. His loan move was extended to January 2009, and he went on to score his first and only league goal of his loan period against Scunthorpe United. McGleish's second spell at Northampton was less successful, as he scored only twice in 11 appearances. Manager Stuart Gray decided not to sign the striker in the January transfer window, and he returned to Wycombe.

East London again He rejoined former club Leyton Orient on loan for the third time until the end of the 2008–09 season. He scored the first two goals of his loan spell in the 3–2 defeat at home to Peterborough United before returning to Wycombe and subsequently being released on 6 May 2009. He then signed a one-year contract with Leyton Orient on May 26, 2009. He scored 12 goals in 41 league appearances prior to the last game of the 2009–10 season away to Colchester United. His goals included a double against Carlisle United in a 2–2 draw and the winner away from home against old club Wycombe in October. He scored a diving header to give Orient a 1–0 win against Charlton Athletic and another double in a 2–1 win over Tranmere Rovers. On 1 May, he scored a 94th-minute goal to seal Orient's League One status with a 2–0 win over Wycombe with a game to spare. The goal also relegated his old club, as they needed a win to maintain their own League One status.

On 7 December 2010, McGleish scored an extra-time hat-trick in the FA Cup second round against Droylsden. His teammate Jonathan Téhoué also scored a hat-trick, ultimately guiding Orient to an 8–2 victory and a place in the Third Round.

On 10 May 2011, McGleish was released by Leyton Orient after his fourth stint with the club, despite being the club's top scorer of the 2010–11 season with 17 league goals. McGleish revealed that he had not been offered a new contract and added that he was "gutted and a little bit shocked", although he had suspected that he would be released.

Bristol Rovers On 29 June 2011, he signed a contract with recently relegated Bristol Rovers. McGleish stated that his desire to work with manager Paul Buckle was the main reason for him signing.

On 6 August 2011, the opening day of the 2011–12 season, McGleish scored Rovers' first goal and set up another on his debut for the club in their 3–2 win at AFC Wimbledon.

McGleish re-joined Barnet on a short-term loan deal on 1 March 2012.

On 17 May 2012, McGleish was released by the Rovers. In November 2012, McGleish joined Chesham United on a free transfer from Whitehawk.

Enfield Town McGleish was released from Whitehawk on 1 January 2013 and promptly joined Isthmian League Premier Division side Enfield Town. He made his debut for the club in a 3–2 defeat against Bury Town, in which he scored. He scored nine more goals in his next eight games, including braces against Carshalton Athletic and Metropolitan Police and a hat-trick against Cray Wanderers.

Wealdstone In March 2013, McGleish accepted an offer to join rivals Wealdstone to help bolster their push for promotion to the Conference South. He marked his debut with a goal in a 4–2 win over Margate. He played in the Isthmian League Premier Division play-off semi-final against Concord Rangers, hitting the crossbar late on while Wealdstone were 1–0 up. They went on to lose the game 2–1 in extra time. McGleish signed on for the 2013–14 season at Wealdstone and was part of the team that won the Isthmian League Premier Division title and thus achieved promotion to the Conference South. He finished the season as the club's top scorer with 23 goals.

Cheshunt In 2017, McGleish joined Cheshunt. He made his debut in a 3–1 home defeat to Dorking Wanderers in the FA Cup at the age of 43, making him the oldest player in Cheshunt's history.

Return to Chesham United Having made only one appearance for Cheshunt, McGleish rejoined Chesham United in September 2017; he made his second début in a 2–0 win over Dunstable Town on 12 September, scoring the second goal. In October 2018, McGleish departed the club alongside fellow coaches Mark Swales and Dave Sandiford. He returned to Hendon as a player-coach in December 2018, a club he played for as a youth in the early 90s.

Leverstock Green In June 2021, McGleish joined Leverstock Green as player/assistant manager, joining new manager Fergus Moore. He made 20 league appearances in his first season with the club and 20 in all competitions in the following season, but saw his playing time drastically reduced in the 2023–24 season, in which he made only three league appearances and five in all competitions. In the second of these, a 0–0 draw with Cockfosters on 23 March 2024, he achieved the distinction of having played beyond the age of 50; however, the 2024–25 season brought only a further three appearances in the league, the last of these coming in October 2024 in a 3–3 draw with Biggleswade.

In August 2025, after ten months away, he made his return to the first team in a 3–2 victory at Stotfold, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute.

Managerial career In June 2021, McGleish joined Leverstock Green as player/assistant manager, joining new manager Fergus Moore.

Career statistics

+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsEdgware Town1993–94Isthmian League Division Two36320000003632Charlton Athletic1994–95First Division6000000060Leyton Orient (loan)1994–95Second Division6100001172Peterborough United1995–96Second Division1201010421821996–97Second Division1000000010Total130101042192Colchester United (loan)1995–96Third Division155000020176Cambridge United (loan)1996–97Third Division107001000117Leyton Orient1996–97Third Division2671000102871997–98Third Division80003100111Total347103110398Barnet1997–98Third Division401310000041131998–99Third Division36810211140101999–2000Third Division441010222049122000–01Third Division195001111217Total1393630544215142Colchester United2000–01Second Division2150000002152001–02Second Division461521202052162002–03Second Division4381010114692003–04Second Division34107110664817Total14438102409716747Northampton Town2004–05League Two451332213153172005–06League Two421744212250242006–07League One25123100002813Total11242107425313154Wycombe Wanderers2006–07League Two1450000001452007–08League Two462610102050262008–09League Two153001010173Total75341020308134Northampton Town (loan)2008–09League One91210000112Leyton Orient (loan)2008–09League One165000000165Leyton Orient2009–10League One421220100045122010–11League One39128620004918Total9729106300011035Bristol Rovers2011–12League Two277222010329Barnet (loan)2011–12League Two9000000090Whitehawk2012–13Isthmian League Premier Division6321000084Chesham United2012–13Southern League Premier Division7112000083Enfield Town2012–13Isthmian League Premier Division13120000001312Wealdstone2012–13Isthmian League Premier Division1130000101232013–14Isthmian League Premier Division372333006246282014–15Conference South37800007244102015–16National League South913000411622016–17National League South70000083153Total10135630026813346Cheshunt2017–18Isthmian League Division One North0010000010Chesham United2017–18Southern League Premier Division1220000501722018–19Southern League Premier Division3010000040Total152100050212Edgware Town2018–19SSML Premier Division6000000060Hendon2018–19Southern League Premier Division20000000202019–20Southern League Premier South1000001020Total3000001040Edgware Town2019–20SSML Premier Division1140000211352020–21SSML Premier Division5521002096Total1692100412211Leverstock Green2021–22SSML Premier Division2001000602702022–23SSML Premier Division1103000602002023–24SSML Premier Division30000020502024–25Southern League Division One Central30000000302025–26Southern League Division One Central4000000040Total4104000140590Career total940301572525780241,102358

Other interests Until 2013, McGleish served on the management committee of the Professional Footballers' Association.

In 2011, while at Leyton Orient, McGleish appeared in a television advert for the Nintendo DS in the UK.

In 2023, McGleish spoke about his career on the 'Undr [sic] the Cosh' podcast, hosted by former footballers Jon Parkin and Chris Brown and comedy writer Chris J. Brown.

Honours

Northampton Town Football League Two runner-up: 2005–06

Wealdstone Isthmian League: 2013–14

See also List of men's footballers with the most official appearances

References

External links