Bobby Williamson has publicly put himself forward as Scotland's next head coach, ten years after his last managerial role and while still based in Nairobi. The 64-year-old former Kilmarnock and Hibernian manager wants to bring Ally McCoist, Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson in as part of his coaching staff — a backroom team he believes could do what his own name cannot: excite the Tartan Army.

The pitch

Williamson was candid on BBC Radio Scotland about his candidacy. "I am not going to excite the Tartan Army, I know that for a fact," he said, "but maybe with these future international coaches getting a go at it, that might excite them because of what they achieved with Scotland and their club sides."

Reading the coverage of Steve Clarke's resignation from his home in Kenya triggered the idea. "I've been out of the game for a while, but 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 explained.

He has managed two African national sides — Uganda and Kenya — and points to the pressure of handling 60,000-capacity crowds in Kampala as relevant preparation for the intensity that comes with the Scotland role.

The backroom plan

The first call Williamson made was to McCoist, a former Rangers team-mate. "My first text message was to Alistair McCoist and I said I am thinking about doing this and he said 'I'm in'," Williamson revealed. McCoist previously served as assistant to Walter Smith with Scotland and went on to manage Rangers.

Brown and Thomson were young midfielders under Williamson at Hibs. Both captained clubs at the top of Scottish football — Brown lifting trophy after trophy at Celtic, Thomson playing a part in Rangers reaching a UEFA Cup final. Williamson's logic is partly developmental: give those coaches international-level experience now so Scotland has continuity further down the line.

"So I started thinking 'who else?' and I'm thinking long term for Scotland's benefit — bring in some younger coaches so they get the international experience," he said. "They certainly have that knowledge, but they have not really experienced the coaching side of the game at that level and I thought, if I could help these guys, it would give Scotland options down the line."

Realistic chances?

Williamson's CV is not without substance. He led Kilmarnock to the 1997 Scottish Cup, took Plymouth Argyle into the Championship, won the 2011 CECAFA Cup with Uganda and guided Gor Mahia to the Kenyan league title. That said, he has been out of management for a decade and, by his own admission, hasn't yet managed to get a meeting with Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell or the association's president.

"I tried to get through to Ian Maxwell and the president, but it's not happened," he said, adding that he has someone working on whether it is worth pursuing further. He acknowledged the SFA has "probably identified candidates anyway".

The market has other names in the frame, and the Williamson pitch looks like a long shot. But it is a reminder that the Scotland vacancy is attracting interest from coaches with genuine international experience — even if that experience comes from east Africa rather than the major European leagues.

Frequently asked

Who is Bobby Williamson?
Bobby Williamson is a 64-year-old former striker and manager who played for Rangers, West Brom, Rotherham and Kilmarnock. As a manager he won the 1997 Scottish Cup with Kilmarnock, took Plymouth to the Championship and managed Uganda and Kenya at international level.
Why did Steve Clarke leave as Scotland manager?
Steve Clarke resigned as Scotland head coach after the country's recent campaign. The BBC reported his departure prompted Williamson to consider putting himself forward as a successor.
Has Ally McCoist agreed to be part of Williamson's Scotland setup?
According to Williamson, McCoist responded to a text message saying he was 'in'. However, Williamson has not yet secured a formal meeting with the Scottish FA, so nothing is confirmed.