Aberdeen: Derek McInnes rules himself out of Scotland job
Last updated on .From the section Scotland
| Scottish Premiership: Hibernian v Aberdeen |
|---|
| Venue: Easter Road Date: Sunday, 19 May Kick-off: 15:00 BST |
| Coverage: Updates on BBC Radio Scotland & the BBC Sport website |
Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes has ruled himself out contention to become the new Scotland manager.
McInnes was one of the frontrunners for the vacant position along with Kilmarnock's Steve Clarke and national under-21 coach Scot Gemmill.
But the 47-year-old says he is not ready to give up the day-to-day enjoyment of being a club manager.
"I see myself as a club manager for this moment in time, that has not changed," McInnes said.
"I would like to be the Scotland manager at some point, I think anybody coaching and managing would have aspirations of managing their country. But I see myself with work to do at Aberdeen."
Both Kilmarnock and Aberdeen have been kept informed as the Scottish FA conducted due diligence on their respective managers.
The governing body wants to make an appointment quickly, with the squad for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Cyprus and Belgium scheduled to be announced in less than a fortnight.
Aberdeen vice-chairman Dave Cormack said on Wednesday that McInnes had told him he would stay and that the club would talk to him about a new contract, with his deal due to expire next summer.
The Pittodrie club, who have finished second in the Scottish Premiership in the past four seasons, will be guaranteed a Europa League place if they better Kilmarnock's result against Rangers when they visit Hibernian on Sunday.
"I wouldn't be against sitting down with the chairman about a contract extension but right now our focus will be on the rebuilding of the squad," said McInnes, who led Aberdeen to the League Cup in 2014.
"We've got a big rebuilding job, to get players in in time for pre-season, hopefully to come back for European football."
