On This Day in 2013: Gordon Strachan appointed Scotland manager

Gordon Strachan was appointed as Scotland manager, replacing the sacked Craig Levein, on this day in 2013.

The former Coventry, Southampton, Celtic and Middlesbrough boss was confirmed in the post by the Scottish Football Association before a lunchtime press conference at Hampden.

Strachan started as a teenager at Dundee and a long and illustrious playing career which followed at Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds and Coventry earned him 50 caps for Scotland.

He had been out of management since leaving Boro in October 2010, but realised a long-held dream when he was put in charge of the national side on an initial contract to run through to the 2016 European Championship qualifiers.

“I am very proud of myself but my family, my wife, mother, grandchildren, children and my friends are very proud so it shows you how important the Scotland job is,” Strachan said.

“It is probably 40 years in the making to get here. It is a job that I wanted to do and, for a Scotsman, this is a fantastic thing.

“When I was a kid I wanted to play for Scotland and I did that. Then I started coaching and I thought ‘I want to be the Scotland manager some day’ so I have achieved that with the help of a lot of people and players.

“It is going to be difficult, every job is difficult. The Coventry job is difficult, Southampton, Middlesbrough, they are all difficult.

“You don’t get an easy one but you can still enjoy it. But the idea is to make people happy and win games of football.”

After failing to qualify for Euro 2016 or the 2018 World Cup, Strachan left his position by “mutual consent” on October 12, 2017.