Steven Naismith remains the clear favourite to take charge of Scotland for their Nations League opener against Slovenia, with the SFA closing in on a decision to succeed Steve Clarke.
The Scottish FA's hunt for Steve Clarke's successor is entering its final stages, with chief executive Ian Maxwell and chief football officer Craig Mulholland believed to have interviewed a broad shortlist of candidates from home and abroad.
Clarke walked away from a contract that ran to 2030 immediately after Scotland's group-stage exit at the World Cup, bringing an end to a seven-year reign that had delivered back-to-back European Championship qualification.
With no permanent successor yet confirmed, speculation has settled on Steven Naismith, Clarke's long-serving assistant, as the leading contender to at least steer the side through their next assignment.
Scotland's return to competitive action comes in the Nations League, kicking off away to Slovenia on 26 September, giving the SFA a hard deadline to have a manager, whether permanent or interim, in position.
Naismith himself has played down suggestions he wants the job full-time, insisting he hasn't seriously considered it and that whoever takes over needs real experience to manage what he's called a "critical moment" for Scottish football.
He has, however, indicated he expects to stay involved with the national set-up in some capacity regardless of who gets the nod.
However his odds have dropped to as short as 8/11 in the last few days.
Below, we run through the odds and the full list of candidates in the frame.
Next Scotland Manager Odds
Who is favourite to be the next Scotland Manager?
Naismith remains the clear market leader to be the next Scotland manager, priced at 8/11 with bet365, an implied probability of just over 57%.
The 39-year-old has coached alongside Clarke since August 2025, having also worked under him briefly back in 2021, and won 51 caps as a player during a career at Rangers and Everton.
His only managerial experience came at Hearts, where he took interim charge in April 2024 before being confirmed full-time, only to be sacked five months later with the club bottom of the Premiership on a single point from six games.
The most likely outcome is an interim appointment rather than a long-term commitment, with the association using the Nations League block to assess him further while other options remain open.
Scotland Next Manager Candidates
Roberto Martinez – 9/2. The Spaniard is available after leaving Portugal following their round-of-16 exit at the World Cup, and previously took Belgium to third at the 2018 tournament. His reported £3.5m salary at Portugal, seven times what Clarke earned with Scotland, is likely to price him out.
John McGlynn – 16/1. Falkirk's manager has won back-to-back promotions since 2022, including an unbeaten League One title campaign that earned him PFA Manager of the Year, an award he retained the following season. He guided the club to sixth in the Premiership and a Scottish Cup semi-final in their first season back in the top flight for 15 years.
Barry Ferguson (25/1) and Darren Fletcher (16/1) - Both former Scotland internationals with limited managerial CVs; Ferguson has spells at Clyde, Kelty Hearts and Alloa plus a caretaker stint at Rangers, while Fletcher currently coaches Manchester United's under-18s.
David Moyes – 20/1. Scotland's most decorated managerial export is considered unlikely to leave Everton just as a new Premier League season begins, though a difficult start at Goodison Park could change the picture later in the campaign.
Alex Neil – 33/1. Took Millwall to third in the Championship last season before a play-off semi-final defeat to eventual winners Hull City. Has a track record of promotions with Hamilton, Norwich and Sunderland.
Brendan Rodgers – outsider. The former Celtic boss knows the Scottish game intimately and would bring an attractive style, but his wage expectations are likely to put him beyond the SFA's budget.
