SFA keep their cards close to their chest over hunt for new Scotland boss

Motherwell boss Mark McGhee remains the bookies' favourite, along with Graeme Souness and Billy Davies, and all three have refused to rule themselves out of the running so far.

Kenny Dalglish, Craig Levein, Jim Jefferies, Stuart Baxter and Jimmy Calderwood have also been mooted in the media as possible replacements for Alex McLeish, while Paul Lambert and George Burley both expressed an interest in the job earlier in the week.

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Both Walter Smith and McLeish enjoyed successful, but shortlived, spells as national team coach before returning to club management and the SFA will undoubtedly be seeking someone willing to commit himself long-term this time.

But chief executive Gordon Smith was reluctant to comment on the recruitment process, saying: "There is nothing to report at all at the moment."

However, he believes whoever does land the job is taking over the reigns at the ideal time.

Confidence about the future remains high despite Scotland narrowly failing to qualify for Euro 2008 and Smith sees no reason why qualification for the 2010 World Cup should not end in success.

He added: "There is a confidence about the Scottish game at the moment, the World Cup is a reachable target, and it's a great time for Scottish football."

Smith was speaking at the launch of the SFA's National Strategy for Youth Football at Hampden and believes the feelgood factor sweeping the nation can only be good for the future of the game in Scotland.

As well as Scotland's inspirational Euro 2008 campaign, club football is also on the rise again.

Rangers are bidding to join Celtic in the last 16 of the Champions League next week, while Aberdeen still have a shot at qualification for the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup.

The last time three Scottish teams were involved in European football beyond Christmas was 37 years ago and Smith believes the kids the SFA are targeting for the new scheme can only be inspired by such success.

"It's massive," he said. "While we are trying to do these things, the profile that football gets and the feelgood factor that comes from teams doing well adds to it.

"When I was a kid, I used to get out on the streets with my tennis racquet every year when Wimbledon was on. I would play for a week and then it would die away.

"What we want to do is to get the kids seeing football all the time, seeing the success of football and I think that gives them a real lift and inspires them.

"We want more kids to think 'I want to do that' and not just the ones who think they can become a top player - we want the ones who want to just enjoy the game."

Around £12million will be pumped into developing youth football from sources including Scottish Government and the Big Lottery Fund and Smith added: "The wheels were slightly in motion when I took over but I became immersed in it immediately when I came in.

"There were certain aspects that I thought were great and other aspects I thought could be improved. I wanted to be involved right from the very start.

"I felt that this was a major aspect of what we do in Scottish football. Youth development is key for the future of the game and we need to make sure that side of things is addressed.

"We wanted to get it organised like it is in other countries. Other countries are ahead of us in this respect, like the Scandinavian countries, for example, who are very good at getting all the structure in place.

"When you get a structure in place and you get everyone trying to do things in the same manner at least you know it's uniform across the country."