McLeish right man to lead Scotland: Smith

WALTER Smith resisted the temptation of a possible return to the Scotland hotseat but believes the Scottish Football Association opted for the right manager in Alex McLeish.

Smith was boss of the national team between 2004 and 2007.

The former Rangers manager was linked with the post after the departure of Gordon Strachan in October.

However, McLeish was named Scotland manager for the second time last month and is preparing for the friendly against Costa Rica at Hampden Park on Friday night before a second challenge Hotseat: Scotland manager Alex McLeish

match against Hungary next Tuesday night.

Smith said: “I never got to the stage where, despite what you might have read that the SFA offered me the job, they only asked if I would be prepared to come out of retirement and that is effectively where it was.

“I suppose there is always a little bit of a pull to come back again but in the end I felt I had been out for too long a period and happy enough to get my golf handicap down — which I’m failing to do.

“Alex McLeish is a tried and tested manager. If anything, he is one that they should have gone for in the first place.

“His record as Scotland team manager was good.

“I didn’t see any reason why they shouldn’t have attempted to get him in the first place.

“He is back there now and gets another opportunity.” CHRIS Gunter has denied player power tried to keep Ryan Giggs’ predecessor Chris Coleman as Wales manager.

Wales’ new era under Giggs starts tomorrow as the Dragons kick off the China Cup against the hosts in Nanning, with the Czech Republic and Uruguay also involved in the tournament.

It is the first time the Wales squad has been together since Coleman — who guided the country to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 — surprisingly chose to end his six-year stay in November and take over at Championship strugglers Sunderland. New era: Ryan Giggs is set for his first game as Wales boss

Gunter was among a group of senior players who reportedly lobbied Coleman to remain, but he said: “It was made out that there was a group of players who were knocking his hotel door and begging him to stay. It wasn’t quite like that because players don’t really have an influence on what happens above.

“This group of players wouldn’t think just because we’ve done well we deserve the right to make decisions like that.

“We wanted the manager to stay, because he was a massive part of Welsh history and everybody loved playing under him.

“But in this case I think we were the last to know.”

Gunter is set to win his 86th cap against China and set a new Wales record for an outfield player, eclipsing Gary Speed.

“It would be quite special to me because of that, and who I would move above,” Gunter said.