Strachan named as new Scotland coach

GLASGOW, Scotland - The Associated Press

Scottish national team head coach Gordon Strachan poses for photographers with a jersey during a media conference for his appointment. REUTERS photo

Gordon Strachan took over as Scotland coach yesterday, outlining his plans to qualify the underperforming team for a first major tournament since 1998 and make the team more famous than its bagpipe-blowing fans.

Strachan, who played 50 times for Scotland in a 19-year playing career, was hired on a three-year deal as the replacement for the fired Craig Levein.

Scotland is bottom of its European qualifying group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

“I really want the squad and the staff to give something back to the country and the fans who support us because the fans are probably more famous than the squad now,” Strachan said.

“So what we want to try and do is to give back something and make them turn up for a major finals competition.”

Strachan has been out of management since leaving Middlesbrough in 2010.

He has English Premier League experience as manager of Coventry and Southampton and spent four years in charge of Celtic in Scotland’s top division, winning three league titles and guiding the team to the last 16 of the Champions League twice.

“I think [the] time is right because I’ve had that European experience,” Strachan said.

“There’ll be rough times,” he added, “but I know there’ll be good times, too.”

Scotland is currently 72nd in the FIFA rankings.