Smith named new Scotland boss
Former Rangers boss succeeds Vogts
The Scottish Football Association yesterday confirmed Walter Smith as the new Scotland manager.
The SFA have chosen the former Rangers and Everton boss to succeed Berti Vogts, who quit his position at the beginning of last month after picking up just two points from the opening three World Cup qualifiers.
The Scotsman newspaper reports that Smith - who has been out of top-flight management since leaving Goodison Park more than two years ago - will appoint former Old Firm rival Tommy Burns as his assistant, Vogts’ No.2 having taken charge for the 4-1 friendly defeat from Sweden at Easter Road last month.
The 56-year-old spent a short spell as Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United towards the end of last season and was the hot favourite to succeed Vogts, with the likes of Gordon Strachan and Frenchman Phillipe Troussier also believed to have been in the running.
Smith won seven league titles with the Ibrox club, helping Rangers achieve a record-equalling nine in a row. He quit the Glasgow giants in 1998 as Rangers conceded the title to Celtic and lost the Scottish Cup final to Hearts.
He joined Everton in the same year but could not produce the success required on Merseyside and, with the club looking set for a relegation battle in 2002 and following an abysmal display in an FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Middlesbrough, he was sacked.
Smith had a short spell as assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson before the return of Carlos Queiroz from Real Madrid.
Burns is currently Celtic’s head of youth development and will ask Parkhead boss Martin O’Neill and chief executive Peter Lawwell for permission to continue his association with the national team. He said:
“Walter has asked me to stay and work alongside him in the same capacity as I was in before. I’m thrilled to have been given that chance as I have always considered it a great honour to be involved with Scotland. I will be more than happy to do this but anything I do must be done with Celtic’s approval.”
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