Scotland: Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes would like national job in future, not now

Derek McInnes applauds his Aberdeen team after their Scottish Cup win over St Mirren
McInnes has led Aberdeen to three successive runners-up finishes in the Scottish Premiership

Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes admits he would like to manage Scotland in future but is happy with the Dons for now.

After the Scottish FA's failure to persuade Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill to take the vacant job, McInnes is again seen as a candidate.

He has rejected offers from Sunderland and Rangers in the past seven months.

"You know how happy I am at Aberdeen. There are certain jobs you would like to do in the future, and Scotland would be one of those," he said.

"But for now, whether you are a candidate or not in people's thinking, for me the job in hand at Aberdeen is what is important."

McInnes, 46, pointed to the likes of O'Neill, 48, former Wales boss Chris Coleman, 47, and England manager Gareth Southgate, also 47, as evidence that international management is not simply the preserve of older managers who have served their time in the club arena.

"I don't think it is seen as an older manager's job now," he said. "It is trying to get the right manager for each country.

"Whether it still has the same prestige, I still think it is a huge honour to be manager of your country. Anybody asked would have to give that serious consideration."

Scotland have been without a manager since Gordon Strachan's departure in October, and SFA chief executive Stewart Regan will face tough questions from board members next week over his handling of the recruitment process.

Former SFA chief executive Gordon Smith has described the governing body's failed attempt to secure O'Neill as an "embarrassment", telling BBC Scotland: "They've got it wrong in terms of pursuing someone when they weren't quite clear whether or not he'd take the job.

"They should have been assured of that before they went as far as they did. Michael O'Neill has gained greatly from this whole scenario. In terms of the SFA, all they have got out of it is embarrassment."

Michael O'Neill watches Hearts v Hibs in the Scottish Cup
Michael O'Neill's rejection of the Scotland job has seen the SFA come in for heavy criticism

But McInnes does not believe the governing body should be criticised for trying to prise O'Neill away from Northern Ireland.

"I'm disappointed that it's been quite prolonged," he said. "You can see why the SFA were attracted to Michael, but I don't think it's the be-all and end-all. There's other good managers out there and I'm sure the SFA will be working hard to find one.

"I don't think they should be criticised for trying to get their man and not getting him. There's no doubting he would have been a good candidate for the job."

Who could Scotland face in Nations League?

Scotland will learn who they will face in the inaugural Nations League when the draw is made on Wednesday.

The new tournament will replace a number of friendlies in the international calendar and offer a second chance at qualifying for Euro 2020.

The Scots have been seeded among the third tier of countries and will be drawn into groups of three or four, with home-and-away ties scheduled to take place in September, October and November this year.

The other teams Scotland could face are Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia and Lithuania.

Their next matches are friendlies against Costa Rica (home) on 23 March and Hungary (away) four days later.