Mackay: I couldn’t snub Scotland job

Malky Mackay admits it would be impossible to resist the lure of being permanent Scotland manager were he to be offered the opportunity.

Mackay, currently second favourite for the post behind David Moyes with bookmakers, has named his first Scotland squad to face the Netherlands in a friendly at Pittodrie next Thursday night.

The interim manager concedes he would have to step away from his current post as performance director should the chance to succeed Gordon Strachan on a full-time basis arise.

But he said the question was “hypothetical” at present. Mackay named a 24-player squad including Scott Brown and Darren Fletcher, who have agreed to continue their international careers, for the short term at least. New faces include Hibs skipper Paul Hanlon and former Easter Road striker Jason Cummings, now at Nottingham Forest.

Mackay also confirmed Eric Black, the former Aberdeen striker and currently first-team coach at Southampton, will assist him at Pittodrie.

Six players who featured in Strachan’s last game in Slovenia have been omitted, with Mackay intent to put his own mark on the squad. Eight uncapped

players have been called up.

Mackay refused to rule out becoming Scotland manager on a permanent basis, saying he would “wait and see” what happens following next week’s clash with Dick Advocaat’s side. “What Scottish manager wouldn’t take the Scotland job?” he asked. “It’s ludicrous to say that [he wouldn’t].

“So I’m not being false in that. I’ve got a job, I’m in a job. The board have got a decision to make on where they want to go with that.”

Mackay has temporarily stepped away from his duties as performance director, the role he took on last December amid controversy following revelations about racist and sexist texts sent while he was Cardiff City manager.

“My day job has been put on hold for a month,” explained Mackay. “Last month I was in eight countries in four weeks.

“Last week I was down at Llanelli with our 17s, in Estonia with them, then in Ireland with the Victory Shied team. So there is a big job I’ve got on my own.

“This is a nice, lovely little distraction I have at the moment – and it takes up my whole focus, don’t worry about that.”

Mackay, who normally has responsibility for seven teams, conceded it was not practical to occupy the role of both performance director and international manager on a full-time basis.

“I’ve got a variety of managers and teams out all around Europe right now, and whoever is doing the performance director’s role, the task is to look at strategy and to look ahead, see where we can be innovative and where we can go,” he said.

“So, you couldn’t do both. I’m on an awful lot of planes at the moment and all over the place, but I’m really enjoying it.”