‘I’d consider Scotland job in the future’ - Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes focused on club management

Derek McInnes has confirmed that his interest in becoming Scotland manager only relates to some time in the distant future while adding his voice to those backing Steve Clarke as the obvious replacement for Alex McLeish.

Derek McInnes has said he sees himself as a club manager for the time being. Picture: PA

The Aberdeen manager was believed to be on the short list for the post along with his Kilmarnock counterpart and the current Scotland u21 coach Scot Gemmill, but the reduced involvement that would bring is not something that appeals right now.

Continuing to be in charge of a club who play their 50th game of another busy season at Easter Road tomorrow is a much more attractive proposition than the fractured nature of international fixtures which is why McInnes said: “I see myself as a club manager and I want to continue being a club manager.

“I do think you need to be a certain type to give up club management and go and take it on and of course, if anyone ever asked me in future if I wanted to be Scotland manager that’s something I would always consider and something I do see for myself in future.

“For now I see myself as a club manager and I can see myself as an Aberdeen manager and I’m just not in a position at this stage of my career where I see myself giving up that day to day involvement.”

Instead McInnes is convinced the impressive job Clarke has done over a sustained period at Kilmarnock, allied to previous experience coaching at a high level with Newcastle United, Chelsea and Liverpool make him the ideal choice.

“I think he will be a very good manager if that’s who the SFA go for” the Aberdeen manager added.”Anybody can have a good run over two or three months where you can get a bit of momentum going and confidence in the team.

“But over the course of the last 18 months, having to deal with transfer windows, injuries to players and managing the team you can see that there’s been good work done at Kilmarnock.

“The team looks well coached and you can see the confidence the management team give their players and for me that’s more than enough.

“That’s a sustained period that puts more than a bit of evidence that it is a good manager working and that’s how I feel about it.”

Of course Clark and McInnes are on opposite sides in the chase for the last automatic Europa League place with Aberdeen needing to better Kilmarnock’s result at home to Rangers when they travel to face Hibs tomorrow.

Failure would see the Dons finish in their lowest league position since the current manager replaced Craig Brown six years ago while Celtic’s recent monopoly of the silverware means they have still only lifted one trophy during that time.

That’s had pundits predicting McInnes was desperate to leave as he had taken the Pittodrie club as far as possible but it’s not a view someone expected to agree an extended contract over the summer has any time for.

He said:”I understand what people say but if I had listened to some of them then I wouldn’t have taken on the Aberdeen job in the first place.

“It was supposed to be a poisoned chalice where a lot of good managers had come and gone but I wasn’t scared of it then and I’m not scared of it now.

“I feel as though we can put together a squad that can get me that reward and I work for a very good person in Stewart Milne who has been more than a chairman to me. You don’t give up these type of relationships easily in life.”