A back injury suffered hauling paving stones into his garden left Alex McLeish fearful he would miss Aberdeen’s date with destiny in Gothenburg.
Just a week before the European Cup Winners’ Cup final showdown with Real Madrid, the centre-back was faced with a race against time to be fit after spraining his back.
McLeish worried the freak gardening injury could bring heartache rule him out for the biggest game of his career.
Along with club physio Roland Arnott, he battled through the pain barrier in the Pittodrie treatment room to get fit for Gothenburg.
As the clock ticked down to the final. defiant McLeish vowed there was “no way on this planet I am missing this game”.
Still suffering from his back problem, McLeish even had to move his mattress on to the hotel room floor the night before the final.
McLeish explained: “A week or so before Gothenburg, I was carrying paving stones from the main road round to my back garden
“It caused a sprain in my back.
“The guy who dropped off the paving stones then said: ‘You’re supposed to roll them you daft idiot’… although it wasn’t quite those words.
“After that it was difficult to lie down on a soft bed so I had to put the hard mattress on the floor of the hotel the night before the final.
“John McMaster was my room-mate and was baffled when I was taking the mattress off the bed on to the floor.
“It got me a sleep though before we played Real Madrid.”
‘No way on this planet I am missing the final’
McLeish had to break the news to manager Sir Alex Ferguson he had needlessly injured his back carrying paving stones.
The response from his gaffer, as expected, wasn’t favourable.
McLeish was a pivotal cog in the Dons’ machine and, with Willie Miller, part of one of the best centre-back partnerships in Europe.
Did McLeish fear the back injury would rule him out of Gothenburg?
“Oh aye,” he said.
“Roland Arnott who was the physio was rolling me every day and doing the ultrasound on my back. It was the hard fist right into the back.
“Eventually we decided there was absolutely no way on this planet I am missing the final.”
That back-pass
McLeish was to experience a test of his character within 14 minutes of kick-off against Real Madrid.
The rain had battered Gothenburg all day and the pitch was heavy and sodden.
Manager Ferguson had warned prior to kick-off of the danger of back-passes being caught up in the rain soaked surface.
With the Dons leading 1-0, McLeish attempted a pass to keeper Jim Leighton, but misjudged the heavy ground.
The ball caught up in the water and Santillana capitalised on the error before bursting into the penalty area.
Leighton brought him down for a penalty, which was converted by Juanito.
Despite the set-back, McLeish remained psychologically resolute and never let the mistake erode his confidence or self belief.
He said: “At half time we had a little shouting match, but it was quickly water under the bridge.
“All the players had faith in me.
“We said we have a game to finish.
“In the second half, I concentrated on the game and never concentrated on the mistake.
“Otherwise I would probably have had a nightmare and been substituted.
“We got through it and defended really well.
“I put it to the back of my mind and only thought about that pass-back afterwards when the cup was won.
“I always try to look at the glass half-full.
“The one thing I did do well was convince myself that was meant to happen for us to win the cup.”
‘You could say I had two assists’
McLeish had played a key role in the opening goal in Gothenburg when Gordon Strachan swung in a corner from the right.
Rising high above the defenders, the defender powered a header goalwards.
His effort was blocked but the ball fell to Eric Black, who swung round to fire into the net after fewer than 10 minutes.
It sparked wild scenes of celebration from the 12,000-strong travelling Red Army inside the Ullevi stadium.
McLeish revealed that opening goal was devised on the training ground – like the memorable equaliser in the 3-2 quarter-final defeat of Bayern Munich.
“Aye, you could say I had two assists,” he laughed.
“That one for Eric and then for the Madrid penalty.
“It was a great free-kick that we devised.
“We practised a few set-pieces and that one worked for us.
“The deep corner and coming up late.
“Then of course there was the free kick against Bayern Munich where Gordon and John McMaster kidded on they made a mess of it.
“It was definitely planned against Real Madrid as well.
“When these plans come off then there is no better feeling, especially when it hits the back of the net.”
Of the team who won the European Cup Winners’ Cup only three players cost a transfer fee – Strachan, Mark McGhee and Peter Weir.
The entire Europe-conquering team cost less than £400,000.
McLeish’s uncharacteristic lapse in concentration meant the final was tied at 1-1 after 90 minutes.
Another 30 minutes on the energy-sapping heavy pitched loomed.
McLeish admits doubts it could go to the lottery of penalties did enter his mind.
He quickly chased them away to focus on Ferguson’s message and belief that they were good enough to win it before spot-kicks.
McLeish said: “Of course you have doubts when it goes to extra time.
“However, you have to quickly dispel them.
“We had a strong mentality within that team.
“There was a real self belief in the squad and we carried that on until the very end.”
Aberdeen ‘battered’ Spanish giants
In a glorious Pittodrie career, legend McLeish would go on to make 772 appearances for Aberdeen over 17 years.
He added European Super Cup success later in 1983 as Aberdeen beat European Cup-holders SV Hamburg over two legs.
The Dons remain the only Scottish club to win two European trophies.
Now 64, McLeish won three league titles, five Scottish Cups and two League Cups with the Dons.
He said: “ I remember Gordon (Strachan) saying to me a few years ago that he only recently watched the final for the first time since it happened.
“He said, ‘Alex, we were absolutely brilliant. I can’t believe how good we were. We battered them.
“And we did.”
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