GORDON Strachan will lead Scotland into the qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup after signing a two-year extension as national coach. The 58-year-old's position had been a source of intrigue following the fourth-placed finish in qualifying for Euro 2016 but he has agreed to stay on after receiving support from Scotland fans and will now take the nation into a qualifying group which includes Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta and age old rivals England. His backroom staff will remain intact, with Strachan continuing to be assisted by Mark McGhee, the newly appointed Motherwell manager, and Stuart McCall, the former Rangers manager, both of whom were equally keen to be part of the quest to reach the finals in Russia.
“It is an honour and a privilege to manage my country and, in a way, that has made the disappointment of not qualifying for Euro 2016 all the more profound," said Strachan. "None the less, the reaction from the supporters throughout the campaign, and in particular from those who travelled to Faro in their thousands, is an experience that will live with me for the rest of my life.
Fans had feared the sight of Strachan waving farewell in Portgual would be a permanent cheerio
"It was a recognition that the players’ efforts had been appreciated," he added. "That appreciation and goodwill has also been apparent in the messages of support I have received this week, from emails and letters to chats in the street.
“I want the best for our country and for those players and I believe we can make Scotland proud in the upcoming qualifiers. For that reason, I am delighted to have been asked to continue in my role and I look forward to working with my backroom staff and the players to improve on the previous campaign and look forward to the World Cup qualifiers with optimism.”
Stewart Regan and Strachan were in the stands earlier this week as Scotland's Under-21s drew at Pittodrie
While Strachan had been cagey about his intentions and had form for walking away from previous jobs at Celtic, Southampton and Middlesbrough, perhaps the cat was let out the bag when McGhee accepted his new job with Motherwell and admitted he also intended to carry on his dual role with Scotland. The national team boss, along with SFA chief executive Stewart Regan and SFA president Alan McRae, had also been casting an eye over the next generation of Scotland players at Pittodrie on Tuesday night, as the Scotland Under-21 side drew with their Icelandic counterparts.
Regan said last night that the association had been determined not to let the 58-year-old walk away from the post. Stachan has now won 12 of his 25 matches as Scotland manager. “The Board of the Scottish FA has been consistent in our belief that Gordon should continue the good work that has been apparent in many performances and results throughout the previous campaign," said Regan. "Similarly, the supporters and the players have been overwhelming in their view that Gordon is the national coach to lead us into the World Cup qualifying campaign. The mutual respect and stability that exists is essential to our future success and we all look forward to planning for Russia 2018.”
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