‘Pushing my name’: Scotland next manager candidate breaks silence on link

McGlynn, 64, is one of the bookies’ favourites to be named the Scotland head coach despite his current role at Falkirk. The national team are searching for a new name in the dugout after seeing Clarke resign from his role amid their early exit from the World Cup at the group stage earlier this summer.

While Everton manager David Moyes remains the leading contender to take the reins, the Falkirk boss’ odds of becoming Scotland’s manager have tumbled in recent weeks, with the likes of Craig Levein, Stephen O'Donnell and Brian Graham all urging the Scottish FA to consider McGlynn for the vacant role at Hampden Park.

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“It's amazing for high-profile people in the game to be pushing my name for that job,” McGlynn told Sky Sports. “I'm obviously totally committed here [Falkirk], and there's been no contact whatsoever, so I am fully focussed on the job. It is very nice of the people putting me forward, and supporting me that way. I think they know what I'm like, and how well we've kind of done. So it's some kind of recognition. So yeah, it's nice to hear it but it's about getting on with the job right now.

Asked if he would be interested in the role and replacing Clarke as the next Scotland national team boss, the Falkirk manager remained coy, saying: “The Scottish FA would need to go through the proper procedure and speak to the club and see where it goes - if it comes to that. Like I say, I'm just focussed on what I'm doing now.”

McGlynn will be in the dugout when Falkirk begin the new campaign at home to St Mirren on Saturday, where the Bairns are aiming for a second consecutive top-half finish in the Scottish Premiership. However, after a busy summer in the transfer market, the manager admits he faces one of his toughest challenges yet at the Falkirk Stadium.

“We are in the biggest transitional period that we’ve had,” said McGlynn. “We’ve previously been adding two or three players to what we had. We obviously had a lot more loan players than we had previously. This turnover was going to come at one point. We’ve lost Calvin [Miller], Barney [Stewart] and Dylan Tait for example, that’s three good players who are also characters. We have new players getting used to each other and how we work.

“I haven’t hidden from he fact that this is a new challenge. Normally, a pre-season for us is simple, it’s one or two sessions and bang everything is back to normal and everyone knows what they are doing. This has been a little bit more tricky, at the minute it isn’t quite clicking.”