Craig Levein lost the post in November and Strachan resigned as manager of Middlesbrough in 2010 after making his name as a player at Manchester United and Leeds United and as a manager at Southampton and Glasgow Celtic.
Gordon David Strachan, born in 1957 in Edinburgh, started his playing career (midfielder) at Dundee (1971-1977), where he scored 13 goals in 69 appearances, before moving to Aberdeen (55 goals in 183 appearances) and then moved from Scotland to England. He wore the shirt of Manchester United (1984-1989), scoring 33 times in 160 games, then Leeds United (1989-1995, 37 goals, 197 games), finishing his playing career at Coventry City (no goals in 26 games).
At international level, he represented Scotland Under-21 once in 1979 and played 50 games in the senior team from 1980 to 1992, in which he scored 5 goals.
As a manager, he started his career at Coventry City (1996-2001), before moving to Southampton (2001-2004), then Celtic (2005-2009) and Middlesbrough (2009-2010).
As a player, Strachan won the Scottish Premier Division twice, in 1979-1980 and 1983-1984, the Scottish Cup three times in 1982, 1983 and 1984, the European Cup Winners' Cup (1983), the European Super Cup (1983) all with Aberdeen.
At Manchester United he won the FA Cup in 1985 and at Leeds United, the First Division Championship in 1991-1992 and the FA Charity Shield (1992)
As a manager, he took Southampton to the FA Cup Final (beaten finalist) in 2003 and at Celtic, won everything in Scotland - three consecutive Premier League titles in 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008; the Scottish Cup in 2007 and the Scottish League Cup in 2006 and 2009.
Strachan is famous for his rigorous management style and concentration on a healthy lifestyle. His own lengthy career as a player he attributed to his strict diet, including the consumption of seaweed.