Calderwood ready and willing

Scotland job would be the proudest one you could ever take, says former dons manager

By Paul Third

Published:

Jimmy Calderwood

Jimmy Calderwood last night issued a come-and-get-me plea to the SFA as he threw his hat into the ring for the vacant Scotland manager’s job.

The former Aberdeen manager was strongly linked to the job before George Burley was given a vote of confidence by the SFA two months ago, but after Burley’s sacking yesterday Calderwood hopes he will be considered.

The former Dons manager has no plans to apply for the position but hopes the success he enjoyed at Pittodrie and Dunfermline would make him a candidate.

He said: “Any Scotsman would be interested and I’m no different. We are all Scottish supporters and the job would be the proudest one you could ever take on.

“I will not put my name forward but, if the SFA wanted to talk to me about the job, of course I would be interested. Who wouldn’t?

“I spoke to Walter Smith about the job in the past and he told me it was a wonderful job, but one where he missed the day-to-day involvement with the players.

“Building a rapport with the players in the squad is the key to getting the best out of them and I think I’ve done not too badly on that front.”

Calderwood has been visiting some of European football’s leading clubs since leaving Pittodrie in May but, having returned to Britain last month, he is eager to get back into the game.

He said: “I’ve done some work on the hospitality side at Birmingham City since coming back. I also went along to see my former player Stevie Crawford last week when East Fife played Peterhead as Neale Cooper has a few young Aberdeen lads in his squad and it was nice to catch up with them all.

“I’ve had itchy feet since the day I left Pittodrie, that’s always been the case. I enjoyed my four-week break like I would have every close season but the enjoyment quickly died away and I would love to get back into the game.

“I’m not a gardener, football has been my life, and I’ve been ready to come back for a while now.”

The former Dons manager’s five-year spell at Pittodrie came to an end in May when the Aberdeen board sacked him – despite again leading the club in European competition. Calderwood was praised for bringing respectability back to the club and with European football secured for the second time in three seasons he was looking forward to another campaign with the club.

Calderwood has sympathy for Burley, who has paid the price for a failed World Cup qualifying campaign and subsequent friendly defeats in Japan and Wales.

He said: “Football can be an unfair game sometimes, but when the people above you decide it is time to make a change, what can you do?

“The performances against Macedonia and Holland were very good but George knows Saturday was a very poor display. Call-offs can make your job very difficult but George has been in the game long enough to know what could happen after the result in Wales on Saturday.

“Everybody in the game knows how difficult a job it is and the player pool is not as strong as it was when I was a player.

“I remember Graeme Souness, Eddie Gray and Bruce Rioch, and they were wonderful players. I don’t know if we have players today who come into that category, but we do have potential.”