Former Villa boss Alex McLeish cool on Scotland
FORMER Villa boss Alex McLeish today distanced himself from the Scotland job after Craig Levein was sacked as manager.
McLeish has been out of work since he was relieved of his duties at Villa after the final game of last season following a nightmare campaign.
The Glaswegian, who enjoyed a relatively successful spell in charge of Scotland in which they just missed out on qualification for Euro 2008, had been among the early favourites to replace Levein but has subsequently played down speculation.
McLeish said: "I left the national team to take up club football. I felt I was missing the day-to -day stuff. I wouldn't like to be unfair to Scotland fans in terms of coming back to the job and being a hypocrite.
"I don't want to come out and say I don't want the Scotland job, I'd never want to say that. But I do feel I've still got some time left in club football and that's what I want to focus on. There's nothing really pending, I had to have a break after Villa and now I've got itchy feet again."
Bookmakers have made Gordon Strachan favourite to land the position and McLeish admitted the former Coventry and Celtic manager would have his full backing.
McLeish added: "Gordon looks a pretty good choice to me. He's had great success at club level with Celtic."
Walter Smith, who was linked with the Wolves job when Mick McCarthy was sacked in February, is also in the running along with ex-Bolton boss Owen Coyle and Joe Jordan.
