Regan determined to find ‘right person’

Stewart Regan has revealed the SFA will consider several fresh candidates who put themselves forward for the Scotland job since Michael O’Neill’s snub.

The SFA chief executive defended the governing body’s approach to finding a manager as he brushed off calls for his resignation.

Regan was speaking as Scotland were drawn in a three-team group with Israel and Albania in the inaugural Uefa Nations League and two days after O’Neill rejected the chance to succeed Gordon Strachan.

The draw in Lausanne came 104 days after Strachan lost his job, with the SFA forced to reconsider their shortlist after taking more than two months to agree a compensation package with the Irish Football Association to allow talks with O’Neill to take place.

The £500,000 figure had been stipulated in O’Neill’s contract but Regan claimed the SFA board had to think carefully before committing.

Regan told STV in Switzerland: “There was a compensation package to be put together. The package we put together was very, very competitive, a significant investment from the Scottish FA, and that took time for our board to get comfortable with.

“We had said at the outset when Gordon Strachan left that we were in no rush. We don’t have a competitive match until September and therefore we wanted to make sure we took time to create the right package and put our best case forward.”

Regan insisted the SFA board had been fully involved in the process and the recruitment subcommittee would discuss its plan B in the “next few days”.

“I’m not the first chief exec – and I certainly won’t be the last – not to get the target that I go after,” Regan added.

“We’re determined to find the right person. There are some very attractive and exciting candidates out there. Others have come towards us since Michael’s decision.”

O’Neill confirmed he expects to sign a new contract with the Irish FA.

The 48-year-old was appointed by the IFA in December 2011 and is understood to have been offered improved terms on a deal that will run until 2024.

“We had very positive discussions before Christmas and I envisage now we’ll pick up from where we left off,” O’Neill said.

“It’s not in terms of negotiations, there’s just things that need to be sorted.

“The discussions were very, very positive so I look forward to having something to announce in the coming days.”