Scotland legend willing to answer SFA call as 'good man-manager' backed to replace Steve Clarke
Former captain turned down SFA offer before - but is now open to coaching return
Former Scotland captain Gary McAllister has revealed he is open to joining the national team coaching set up as he backed Rafa Benitez to replace Steve Clarke in the top job.
McAllister, who won 57 caps, previously turned down the chance to join the Scotland backroom staff under George Burley in 2009 as he wanted to pursue full-time management opportunities in English club football instead.
But McAllister admits he would answer the call this time around and would be willing to work under Benitez after the former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss revealed last month he would be open to speaking with the Scottish Football Association.
“I’m enjoying life at the moment. But yeah, it goes without saying, whenever anybody from the SFA, or any of the Scottish guys who are coaching or managing out there, asks for help, you would help at any point," said McAllister, 61, who most recently worked as assistant manager to Steven Gerrard at Rangers and Aston Villa.
"As a former player and a former captain, everybody wants to see their country do well, and you’ll do everything you can to help. Whatever it is, whether that’s going to watch a game or going to watch an opponent, you would always be keen to help the manager who is in the job.”
McAllister left Liverpool in 2002 to take up a player-manager role at Coventry, two years before Benitez arrived and led the Reds to Champions League glory in Istanbul. However, positive tales from his former Anfield teammates have left McAllister convinced that the out-of-work Spaniard would make a successful Scotland manager.
“Honestly, when I speak to the other boys who worked under Rafa, it was obviously after I left, but most of the guys I played with at Liverpool under Gérard Houllier stayed on. They were still at the club, and they really enjoyed working under Rafa," he told Lottoland.
“Rafa was a good man-manager. I think he was very disciplined in his thinking and very thorough and meticulous in his preparation.
“That’s not to say the previous Scotland managers hadn’t done that. It’s just having that little bit of European experience from playing in the elite level of the Champions League would help internationally.
“Rafa is somebody who could cope with the Scottish people.”
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.