Bobby Williamson has thrown his name into the ring for the Scotland head coach vacancy, admitting he self-recruited a backroom team of Ally McCoist, Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson before he had even spoken to the Scottish FA.

The 64-year-old, who has been living in Africa and out of football management for a decade, says reading reports of Steve Clarke's resignation prompted him to act. "I was looking at the newspaper reports about who's favourite to get the job and I thought my CV stacks up very well," he told BBC Radio Scotland.

The backroom pitch

Williamson's opening move was a text to his former Rangers team-mate McCoist. "I said I am thinking about doing this and he said 'I'm in'," Williamson revealed. He then identified Brown — who captained Celtic to significant silverware and earned numerous Scotland caps — and Thomson, who played a key role in Rangers' run to a Uefa Cup final, as two younger coaches he wants to bring on at international level.

The logic is partly developmental: Williamson believes neither Brown nor Thomson has significant top-level coaching experience and sees the Scotland job as a platform to build that continuity into the national set-up. "I thought, if I could help these guys, it would give Scotland options down the line," he said. Both Brown and Thomson were young midfielders at Hibernian during Williamson's tenure there.

A CV built across three continents

Williamson's managerial record spans Scotland, England and east Africa. He led Kilmarnock to Scottish Cup glory in 1997 (worth noting he was still in the early stages of his management career at that point), took Plymouth Argyle into the Championship, won the 2011 CECAFA Cup with Uganda and guided Gor Mahia to the Kenyan league title. He also draws on the experience of managing Uganda in front of crowds of 60,000 — a pressure he feels translates to handling the intensity of the Tartan Army.

He is candid about his marketability, however. "I am not going to excite the Tartan Army, I know that for a fact," he said — adding that the names around him might do exactly that.

Whether the SFA is listening is another matter

Williamson says he attempted to contact Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell and the association's president, but has not yet got through. He has since asked someone else to pursue the approach on his behalf. "They probably have wheels in motion and have identified candidates anyway," he acknowledged — a realistic caveat that suggests he is aware this remains a long shot.

The market has so far focused on higher-profile domestic names since Clarke stepped down, and Williamson himself describes his candidacy as "a big if". Still, his willingness to go public with a fully-formed management structure — and to have already secured McCoist's verbal commitment — makes this more than a casual expression of interest.

Frequently asked

Who is Bobby Williamson and what has he managed?
Bobby Williamson is a 64-year-old former striker who played for Rangers, West Brom, Rotherham and Kilmarnock. As a manager he won the Scottish Cup with Kilmarnock in 1997, took Plymouth Argyle to the Championship, and managed the national teams of Uganda and Kenya in east Africa.
Why did Steve Clarke leave as Scotland manager?
Steve Clarke resigned as Scotland head coach, though the specific reasons are not detailed in currently available reporting. His departure opened the vacancy that Williamson is now pursuing.
What role would Ally McCoist play if Williamson got the Scotland job?
McCoist has verbally agreed to join Williamson's proposed backroom staff. McCoist previously assisted Walter Smith with Scotland and managed Rangers, making him one of the most recognisable names in Scottish football.