Former Scotland and Rangers manager Alex McLeish has told the Scottish Football Association that he is ready and willing to take on the job as manager of the national team once again, after their first-choice target Michael O’Neill knocked back the position yesterday.

O’Neill held talks with an SFA delegation in a three-hour meeting in Edinburgh last Thursday after they had agreed a compensation package with his current employers, the Irish Football Association. However, the Northern Irishman has now opted to remain with his native country.

SFA chief executive Stewart Regan will now be forced to go back to a shortlist of other suitable candidates, with McLeish hoping that his name is at the top of that list. And the 59-year-old, who managed Scotland previously in 2007 before leaving for Birmingham City, isn’t put off by knowing he wasn’t first-choice for the role.

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“The Scotland job still interests me,” McLeish told HeraldSport.

“I know that Michael O’Neill was the favourite, of course, but it wouldn’t be the first time that I’ve got a job on the rebound. When I went to Hibs for instance, Rod Petrie fancied Paul Sturrock, and the rest is history.

“But if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. I’m more than open to the possibility, so we will see.”

McLeish took charge of Scotland 11 years ago next week after Walter Smith had left the post in the midst of the qualifying campaign for Euro 2008 to take over at Rangers.

He stayed in the post for 11 months, steering Scotland to their famous win over France in the Parc Des Princes and achieving the highest win percentage – at 70% - of any Scotland manager to have taken charge of more than 10 games.

That record still wasn’t enough to secure qualification for the European Championships though, with a damaging defeat in Georgia and a controversial loss to Italy in the final qualifier at Hampden ending the Scots hopes of making it to Austria and Switzerland.

McLeish thinks though that his experience not only from his first spell in charge, but also in his management career at club level since, makes him an obvious candidate for the role. And now at 59, he feels that he is the ideal age to assume the role once more.

“Managers like myself, Walter Smith, all these guys, we know what it’s all about in terms of experience,” he said.

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“I’ve done a lot of firefighting, and I don’t want to go back to a job like that. It may be that you become typecast, but my CV isn’t too shabby.

“I’ve had five years in England, won a promotion, a Carling Cup, had a ninth position in the Premier League, saved Aston Villa despite reducing £30million in wages, so I think my CV stands up, and I’ve still got a lot to offer.

“The Scotland job is definitely of interest to me.”

Former Scotland assistant manager Mark McGhee has backed his former Aberdeen teammate for the role, saying he would be the ideal candidate.

“I know how much Alex would love to do the job and I know how well qualified Alex is for the job given his experience in it already," said McGhee.

“I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t be seriously considered, he is ready and waiting, have boots will travel."

O’Neill released a statement after turning down the role to explain his decision, saying; “It’s a huge honour to be offer the position, however I do not feel that this is the right opportunity for me at this moment in my career.”