Costa Rica first up for Scots boss

SCOTLAND’S worst World Cup memories are to be relived in March when Costa Rica visit for what the SFA hope is Michael O’Neill’s first game in charge of the national team.

A home friendly against the 2014 World Cup quarter-finalists has been agreed to form part of a spring double-header for the new manager, with the Scots also travelling to Hungary.

The venue for the Costa Rica game on Friday, March 23 has yet to be determined, but Hampden

JACKIE McNAMARA hopes Michael O’Neill will conclude that he has taken Northern Ireland as far as he can — because the former Scotland defender wants the SFA’s No 1 and only managerial target to take him on a journey he has craved ever since playing at France 98.

McNamara was one of the younger members of Craig Brown’s World Cup Finals squad and will long remember a blissful day in Bordeaux when he sampled major tournament football for Scotland with a substitute appearance in a 1-1 draw against Norway watched by a host of family and friends.

The former Celtic full-back is aghast that this country has failed to qualify for a competition since, denying him the opportunity to join the Tartan Army at a European Championship or World Cup since he last represented Scotland in 2005.

O’Neill (below) worked wonders with Northern Ireland — ending their three-decade exile from the big stage with a Euro 2016 place — and the SFA have marked him down as the ideal man to replace Gordon Strachan and lead the Scots to Euro 2020.

Chief executive Stewart Regan is keen to seal the deal in the next few days, following constructive talks on Thursday with O’Neill.

And McNamara is hoping the meeting convinced the 48-yearold that his best chance of returning to a major tournament lies with taking over Scotland.

‘I could never have imagined we would be here in 2018 without having qualified again since France 98,’ said York City chief executive McNamara.

‘I was one of the younger ones in the Scotland squad along with Simon Donnelly and Christian Dailly. We were maybe a bit blasé, whereas, for a lot of the older players, it was their last chance to be involved in a campaign.

‘We just thought there would be more chances to play at that level. Obviously, it was great to be there but you probably don’t savour the moment as much because you think you’ll be back.

‘Friends and family came over. I remember seeing them all after the Norway game. My uncles, my dad, everyone with their kilts on. I was half thinking I’d like to be beside them — but I would like to be playing as well!

‘When you’re older, you think about going and savouring that occasion as a fan.

‘I know there has been a big focus on our absence being a burden for any Scotland manager, but Michael experienced that with Northern Ireland and achieved incredible success to get them there. So maybe he has taken them as far as he can. Look at the two squads — who in their team would get in the Scotland side? ‘If he takes the Scotland job, he has a real chance to do well because we have some great young players coming through right now, like Kieran Tierney and Andrew Robertson. ‘I think it is a good time for a change. I was asked after Andrew arrived at Liverpool if he could get into their team and I said: “No doubt”. I’m delighted with what he has achieved. So we have the talent.

‘In the last campaign, we didn’t start well, then turned it around. We were close to beating England and had some great results.

‘It’s all about trying to keep that momentum going. Michael could do well for us. He isn’t Scottish, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is qualifying.’

UEFA’s revamping of the international calendar to introduce the new Nations League has offered an alternative qualifying route for European Championships.

The draw for the inaugural competition takes place on Wednesday in Switzerland, with Scotland housed in League C and games to be played in September, October and November in double-header format.

Albania and Montenegro are two potential first-time opponents for the Scots, with Estonia one of the more intriguing rivals available.

McNamara was on the pitch in October 1996 for the ‘game that never was’ in Tallinn when Estonia refused to show up for a World Cup qualifier following a dispute over the stadium floodlights that prompted the kick-off time to be moved.

‘I was buzzing that I was starting in Estonia,’ recalled McNamara. ‘But the elation turned to deflation as we kicked off with no team to play against. Afterwards, I joked that I never put a foot wrong in the game. That doesn’t happen often.’

After France 98, I never thought we’d go so long without qualifying