Gordon Strachan last night ended any remaining uncertainty as to his future by signing a contract extension that commits him to the national side for another two years.
His decision to continue as Scotland’s manager comes after their failure to qualify for the Euro 2016 finals in France next summer, a disappointment that led to speculation about his plans. But Strachan was moved by the support he received from travelling fans in the final group match against Gibraltar last weekend, since when he has dropped a series of hints indicating that he would like to stay.
Last night, a two-year deal was confirmed on the SFA website. The arrangement will take him through a World Cup qualifying campaign in which Scotland will play England, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta and Armenia for a place at the 2018 finals in Russia.
Strachan said: “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. 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. It was a recognition that the players’ efforts had been appreciated.
“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.
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“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.”
His backroom staff will remain unchanged, although Mark McGhee, his assistant, will combine that role with his new job as the manager of Motherwell. Stuart McCall, currently without a club, will also continue to support Strachan.
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