Former Hearts boss to have Scotland coach role as another ex-Jambos gaffer addresses taking national team job
A couple of former Hearts managers have been talking over the next Scotland manager vacancy.
Ex-Hearts boss Steven Naismith says he will have a role in Scotland’s new coaching set-up - as another former Tynecastle manager addresses possibly filling the Hampden vacancy.
The former forward was recently part of Steve Clarke’s backroom team but the boss has resigned after this summer’s World Cup. Several candidates have been mentioned but it leaves the likes of Naismith - who guided Hearts to third in the 2023/24 campaign - in a state of flux.
It has not been made clear whether or not they will join the former Kilmarnock boss in seeking a fresh challenge. Naismith has confirmed though that, in some capacity, he will be involved in the next era of Scotland’s national team structure.
Will Steven Naismith still have a Scotland coaching role after the World Cup?
Naismith told Sky: “The last few years have been really enjoyable for me. The conversations have all been that I’ll be involved somewhere. The next manager has to be someone who has that experience, because I think it’s a critical moment for us as a national association. It has to be someone with that experience that can progress what has been done.
“For me, I’m happy to help wherever that may be. That’s always been the case over the last two or three years. I’ve done a lot on the coaching education side, I’ve went through my pro license. I do feel as if I’ve got some skills in all these areas that I can contribute. Whatever I need to do in the short term, I will do. I want to make Scotland as good as it can be.”
John McGlynn meanwhile has been one of the names strongly linked with the role after impressive work as Falkirk manager. The former Jambos boss who was at the Gorgie helm between 2012-2013 after previous coaching roles says his full focus is on the Bairns’ new Premiership campaign.
John McGlynn on becoming next Scotland manager
McGlynn told the broadcaster: “It's amazing for high-profile people in the game to be pushing my name for that job. I'm obviously totally committed here [Falkirk], and there's been no contact whatsoever, so I am fully focussed on the job. It is very nice of the people putting me forward, and supporting me that way. I think they know what I'm like, and how well we've kind of done. So it's some kind of recognition. So yeah, it's nice to hear it but it's about getting on with the job right now.
“The Scottish FA would need to go through the proper procedure and speak to the club and see where it goes - if it comes to that. Like I say, I'm just focussed on what I'm doing now. We are in the biggest transitional period that we’ve had. We’ve previously been adding two or three players to what we had. We obviously had a lot more loan players than we had previously. This turnover was going to come at one point. We’ve lost Calvin [Miller], Barney [Stewart] and Dylan Tait for example, that’s three good players who are also characters. We have new players getting used to each other and how we work.
“I haven’t hidden from he fact that this is a new challenge. Normally, a pre-season for us is simple, it’s one or two sessions and bang everything is back to normal and everyone knows what they are doing. This has been a little bit more tricky, at the minute it isn’t quite clicking.”