The former Scotland international who played for Aberdeen, Manchester United and Leeds United amongst others, was firm favourite with the Tartan Army to succeed Craig Levein, with him finally unveiled as the new national boss at Hampden yesterday.
The 55-year-old has a wealth of managerial experience behind him, including his time at Celtic where he became the first manager to guide the Hoops to three successive league championships since the immortal Jock Stein and steered the Glasgow giants to the last 16 of the Champions League twice in as many years.
And big Eck has no doubt that his former team-mate was the right appointment for the role he held back in 2007.
He said: "Scotland need someone to galvanise them and Gordon is definitely the man to do that.
"When you look at Gordon's CV then it is one that instantly commands respect and he will have that totally from the players.
"In particular his time at Celtic will have supplied him with the ideal experience.
"Gordon has pretty much done everything with Celtic at club level and this is probably the right job at the right time for him and for Scotland.
"Gordon looks a very good choice and one I would imagine would be a very popular one with the Tartan Army and that is another important part of the job."
Strachan's last post was as boss of Championship side Middlesbrough where he resigned after an unsuccessful 12-month spell back in October 2010 to take up his pundit's position on ITV.
McLeish reckons his old team-mate's decision to swap the security of the TV couch for the position of national coach of a Scotland team – whose hopes of reaching Rio have all but gone after only four games of the current campaign – underlines his hunger for the Scots job.
Eck said: "It must have been a tough call to come away from his TV role because he is good at it.
"So that would have been a big decision for Gordon to take. I think that in itself underlines how much he wanted to be Scotland coach.
"He will bring a lot of passion and determination to the job as well as tremendous tactical know how and experience."
SFA chief executive Stewart Regan has tasked new manager Gordon Strachan with making sure Scotland avoid finishing bottom of their World Cup qualifying group.
The Scots are bottom of Group A having taken just two points from their opening four games, a run that ultimately cost Craig Levein his job.
Scotland's chances of booking a place at Brazil in 2014 have been written off by most people, although Strachan's response to that question was: "We'll give it a go."
He takes charge of his first match against Estonia in a friendly at Pittodrie on February 6, before Scotland face Wales and Serbia in a qualification double-header in March.
Regan has backed Strachan to make sure the campaign does not end in humiliation.
He said: "Gordon has got a series of duties set out.
"It's not appropriate to go into what they consist of, but his challenge is to start to move Scotland up the group table for the Brazil 2014 campaign.
"We would like to avoid finishing last and he more than anyone wants to make sure that happens.
"Also, it's about preparing for France 2016.
"Gordon is keen to develop a format of play, a philosophy, if you like, for the Scotland team that works and we're backing him to do that."
George Burley, who failed to negotiate the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup when Scotland boss and was sacked, says Strachan is an "excellent" choice and backed him to successfully make the transition from club to international management.
He said: "It is a great appointment and it is a job that he will enjoy.
"It doesn't get much better than being a national team manager, it is a great honour.
"He knows it will be a difficult job, but I think he will adapt fine."
