The Bear has been fed new inspiration by his reunion with the Scotland squad. After 57 caps as a growling midfielder, Roy Aitken is hungry to achieve success.

The Bear has been fed new inspiration by his reunion with the Scotland squad. After 57 caps as a growling midfielder, Roy Aitken is hungry to achieve success as Alex McLeish's eyes and ears in England.

Andy Watson was always expected to continue his role as McLeish's long-standing sidekick, leaving Aitken's appointment, although mooted beforehand, as the one real revelation at yesterday's formal unveiling of Scotland's new management team.

It provides not only patriotic pride for the 48-year-old but also a fresh start after a difficult period in his life. Aitken was assistant to David O'Leary at both Aston Villa and Leeds United but has been out of work since Martin O'Neill's arrival at the Birmingham club last summer.

Far more serious was the discovery of a cancerous growth in his colon, caught in the early stages and successfully removed by an operation.

Aitken has returned to rude health and was thrilled to receive last week's phone call from McLeish. As well as his training field duties as a coach, he will also cover the Barclays Premiership and Coca-Cola Championship to check on both established and emerging talent.

"I've kept in touch with Alex over the years but this was a pleasant surprise," said Aitken. "I was always very proud to wear the Scotland shirt as a player and coaching is the next best thing.

"It's only been six or seven months since I left Villa and I took a little bit of a step back when that happened. I also had a little bit of an illness last summer, which I am over now, and that took a wee while to come through.

"It was important to my wife and family that I spent time with them, but I was always going to games and being on the outlook.

"There were a couple of things that I knocked back because I didn't think they were right for me, but once this job came round there was no hesitation."

Aitken, a former Celtic captain and Aberdeen manager, remains open-minded about accepting a club post that would dovetail with his part-time involvement with Scotland.

Continuing and strengthening the camaraderie within the national squad is, though, his immediate concern ahead of next week's A team get-together and B squad friendly.

"My own experience in recent years has been at the top end of English football, so I know how to get the best out of top players," said Aitken. "Hopefully, my own experience, knowledge and motivational qualities will help in maintaining the team spirit Walter Smith has built within the squad.

"That's something Alex and myself always had when we were playing for Scotland and that's where our strength lies. If we can get everyone working together, including the fans, then it's already been shown that we can get good results in our qualifying group."

McLeish will lean on Aitken's in-depth knowledge south of the border after passing over a number of other options to complete his backroom staff.

"Roy can do things from his base in England," said McLeish. "Andy and I can operate here in Scotland and we can split the duties abroad. I had a great list of candidates - Mark McGhee, Eric Black, Gary McAllister and Bobby Williamson - but I have always been impressed by Roy and his character. I wanted all the experience I could get."

Watson has been alongside McLeish at Motherwell, Hibernian and Rangers and remains his most trusted confidante.

Taking their partnership on to the international stage is a source of intense pride to the Aberdonian.

"I'm definitely a very patriotic man," said Watson, who will travel to Tbilisi next week to scout Georgia ahead of their visit to Hampden in March. "I even had my face painted and my kilt on when I took my kids to one of the European Championship games here at Hampden.

"The thought of being involved with the national team at this level is just schoolboy stuff to me. I'm delighted and chuffed.

"I played for Scotland at Under-18 and Under-21 level and, when you throw in Alex and Roy's achievements, we've about 140 caps between the three of us. It's a challenge we are all looking forward to."