THE SFA has declared a last-minute interest in hosting the Euro 2020 football championships with Wales and Ireland.

It plans to "fully explore" the option of making a formal joint bid following a day of activity as last night's midnight deadline approached.

Only Turkey has announced its candidacy, but the country is also bidding for the 2020 Olympics, raising concerns over whether Istanbul can host both. Georgia also joined the running.

However, The Herald understands a formal bid from Scotland is unlikely to go ahead, with sources connected to the SFA claiming that the move is an "idea going nowhere".

Former chief executive Gordon Smith said: "I thought the decision to express an interest was good."