McCulloch backs Scotland management team

FORMER Scotland international Lee McCulloch believes Alex McLeish and James McFadden are ideally suited to mould a new team.

McCulloch played for Motherwell and Scotland under McLeish, who kick-starts his second spell in charge tomorrow with a Hampden friendly against Costa Rica.

The 39-year-old also played alongside McFadden for club and country and appreciated the support of his former Fir Park colleague on international duty.

McFadden is in McLeish’s backroom team along with Peter Grant and goalie coach Stevie Woods.

McCulloch said: “There are five friendlies before the real stuff starts so I think that probably is enough time to hit the ground running.

“It’s about bedding the players and the team in and that’s what Alex is good at. He is a good man-manager and is all about the culture created in the squad.

“First of all, he helped me when I was playing with Motherwell. He gave me my debut when I had just turned 17 and he was brilliant with me.

“I was a wee bit uptight at that age, believe it or not, and he would always put his arm round me and help me relax. He was all about the full family thing, he would phone my mum and dad and talk to me and make an example of me in front of the boys.

“I will always look up to Alex and I think he can really make a stamp again. He has done it before and hopefully he does it again.

“He is the ideal guy to bed in new players and James McFadden is brilliant in a dressing-room as well.”

Kirrie native and Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna is in line for his first cap.