CHARLIE Mulgrew was the standout candidate to be Scotland manager, according to captain Alex McLeish.

The former Celtic captain and current Blackburn Rovers skipper will be handed the armband for the match against Costa Rica tonight at Hampden, and McLeish is in no doubt over his credentials for the role.

“Charlie will be captain for this game and then we will see what happens in the next game,” said McLeish.

“I’m not one for changing the captaincy as such, but there will come a time when we come to the competitive games we will probably name a captain and maybe a vice-captain in the event of one being out. And maybe even a vice vice-captain!

“Charlie is the standout, his experience and the fact he’s been in the game a long time. His experience can help the kids. I say kids, the younger players. They are grown men, they have to show that their performance level can be as good for Scotland as it has been for their clubs. That’s the reason they were picked.”

Despite McLeish’s reluctance to commit to naming his long-term captain so soon into his reign, perhaps due to the absence of Celtic full-back Kieran Tierney who is sure to be a candidate, he is wary of devaluing a role that he feels is still crucial in the modern game.

“I still think the captain is very important,” he said. “It has changed in certain ways. At some clubs they appoint a captain on experience, other clubs use a captain who is setting an example by the way he plays even if he’s not a communicator. We’ve seen examples of that.

“But I quite like the fact it is a defender looking at everything who can organise and communicate. I do like a captain who can communicate.

“It is an honour to be captain and I always remember when Willie Miller was out of the Aberdeen team and I was captain. Willie had been captain for so long that he was just called ‘skipper’, that was his nickname.

“To be pulling on the armband after him was something I was really proud about. There is still that pride, especially with the national team, so the captaincy won’t be bandied about.”