Joined The Saints from Barnet in the summer of 1960 having played nine times for The Bees.

His first season at Clarence Park was cut short after breaking his leg in a car accident in Shenley Lane, St Albans in March 1961.

His return to the City First team was delayed until 10th February 1962 when he was in a City XI that defeated Hendon 3-0 (at Wealdstone) in an Amateur Cup 2nd Round tie that attracted a gate of 4,500. He figured in just six games that season before leaving to return to Barnet.
In September 1965 he guested in a makeshift City side that went down 5-0 away to Hemel Hempstead Town in the Herts Charity Cup and it would be another 12 years until he next pulled on a City shirt.

During the intervening years Stuart was, mostly, with Boreham Wood and played in the Wood side that created one of the major upsets of the season in 1970-71 when, as a lowly Athenian League side, they defeated Sid Prosser’s City in 2nd Round of the Amateur Cup when we were one of the top Isthmian League sides of the day and much fancied to lift the cup.He took a three-year break from football after being convicted in 1974 of assaulting Roger Turner of Grays Athletic during a game at Broughinge Road. He was fined £25.

It was Bob Murphy who tempted McLean out of retirement when, as City manager, he invited Stuart take on a coaching role at Clarence Park early in the 1977-78 season. Due to injuries, the City squad was a tad depleted by the time that we entertained Barnet in the F.A. Cup and Stuart was called off the bench to replace Murphy during the second half. The shortage of players had led to Bob to include himself having also turned out, as a substitute, during the previous week’s F.A. Trophy defeat at home to Wembley.Barnet duly won the F.A. Cup tie with Jimmy Greaves scoring their fourth goal.

Stuart made one more appearance for the Saints when he stood in for Les McCormack, who was getting married that day, for a 3-0 Isthmian League win over Hornchurch at Clarence Park on 5th November 1977.
McLean made 35 appearances in total for St Albans City and scored one goal, which was a touch fortuitous, when his shot appeared to be held by the Maidstone United goalkeeper Danny Wiltshire who then fumbled it and watched it trickle through his legs and into the net during our 3-1 win over the Stones on 12th November 1960.

McLean also enjoyed great success in the St Albans City Sunday League, firstly, with Mercers but principally with Sporting Club, Albert R.N. and Paupers. During his time at Boreham Wood he made one appearance for Hertfordshire, that was in the semi-final of the Southern Counties Amateur Championship. The game was a 2-0 win for Herts over Suffolk at Portman Road, Ipswich, with Paul Giggle and one-time Saint Dennis Francis getting the goals.

Stuart passed away in May 2025