Glasgow boasts an impressive track record as the place of birth of many football bosses and it can now add Billy McKinlay to the list after his appointment as Watford’s third head coach of the season.

Born on April 22, 1969, the former midfielder’s playing career began at Hamilton Thistle but he was signed by Dundee United in 1985 and went on to spend ten years at Tannadice, making a total of 222 league appearances and scoring 23 goals.

During his time at United, the 45-year-old played in the 1988 Scottish Cup final while he was still a teenager and went on to win 14 of his 29 international caps while at the club.

McKinlay moved south of the border in 1995 to join then Premier League champions Blackburn Rovers for £1.75m, making more than 100 appearances in all competitions during five years at Ewood Park.

Spells at Leicester City (on loan), Bradford City and Clydebank followed, before McKinlay rejoined the Foxes in 2002, helping Micky Adams’ side finish runners-up in the second tier in his first season before they were relegated from the top-flight 12 months later.

McKinlay though, was to remain in the Premier League after accepting an offer from current Wales manager Chris Coleman to become a player-coach at Fulham.

He remained at Craven Cottage for the next nine years, establishing a reputation for developing the club’s younger players as both reserve and first-team coach, working alongside Ray Lewington, Roy Hodgson, Mark Hughes and Martin Jol.

Along with former Hornets boss Lewington, McKinlay stepped up to help take charge of the first team following Lawrie Sanchez’s sacking in 2007 and again assumed temporary control of Fulham in 2012 when Jol was sidelined due to ill health.

McKinlay's time at the then Premier League club came to an end a day after Jol's departure in early December but he has continued to work as assistant to Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill, having held that role since 2012. 

McKinlay, who was in the running to return to Blackburn as Steve Kean’s successor two years ago, made it clear in an interview two years previously that he felt ready to take the step up into management, explaining the significant influence of current England boss Hodgson on his career.

He told the Daily Record in 2010: “In 2004 Chris Coleman and Stevie Kean invited me to Fulham as a player-coach. They wanted me to help with the reserves and the kids. I was delighted. It was a great opportunity to start out.

"I now think I'm as ready as I'll ever be to become my own man. I've got all my coaching badges.

"I'm not itching to get away but I don't want to be in this job for too long either.

"I'd like the responsibility of being a manager and working with Roy has been fantastic.”

McKinlay continued: "Roy was also my manager at Blackburn and I was fortunate enough to have the benefit of his coaching as a player.

"Then when I got into coaching I'd phone him up to pick his brain. I'd go over to Finland when he was manager there and see him in action.

"When he came here it was even more of an education to listen to him every day. I was learning from the master.

"His organisation and preparation are second to none. Every training session has a real purpose and every team-talk is informative. There's barely a second or a word wasted with Roy.”