Next Scotland manager contender opens talks over another international job

The Scottish Football Association are understood to be closing in on a replacement for Steve Clarke, who stepped down following Scotland's group stage exit at the World Cup in June. The 62-year-old brought an end to a seven-year tenure that included leading the country to back-to-back European Championships and a first World Cup since 1998.

A number of names have been linked with the vacancy with an appointment expected before the new Nations League campaign kicks off with a double-header against Slovenia and Switzerland at the end of September.

Roberto Martinez emerged as the bookies favourite to succeed Clarke last month, although the Spaniard has since been replaced at the top of the betting market by new odds-on frontrunner Steven Naismith, the most recent Scotland assistant.

Martinez, who has family ties to Scotland having met his wife Beth while a player at Motherwell, stepped down as Portugal head coach following their World Cup elimination by Spain in the last 16. He was previously in charge of Belgium for six years between 2016 and 2022, and has also been a manager at club level with Swansea, Wigan and Everton.

Martinez has also worked with Scottish coaches before. Current Celtic assistant Shaun Maloney was his number two at Belgium while he employed Austin MacPhee as his set-piece coach with Portugal.

The Scotsman understands that Martinez was willing to speak the SFA, however, the 53-year-old is now being lined up for another international role with De Telegraaf stating that he has held talks over becoming the next Netherlands head coach.

The report claims that Martinez has met Dutch FA Technical Director Nigel De Jong in Malaga for discussions after Ronald Koeman ended his second spell in charge after a disappointing round of 32 exit at the World Cup.

The current favourites for the Scotland job at bookmakers are as follows (via oddschecker):

1/2 - Steven Naismith

5/2 - Roberto Martinez

5/1 - John McGlynn

7/1 - Kasper Hjulmand

12/1 - Darren Fletcher

16/1 - Martin O’Neill