It is pretty obvious that the SFA made Michael O’Neill their number one target when Gordon Strachan exited Hampden.

Just this week the SFA said in a statement to supporters that it is making progress on an appointment.

O’Neill would doubtless become one of the highest paid managers in Scotland’s history if he was to get the post but should it fall through and he opts to take up the very lucrative offer that is on the table from Northern Ireland, then Malky MacKay would be the obvious candidate for me.

I don’t know if his past offences would count against him but what I would say is that I have known Malky for a long time and I would consider myself a pretty good judge of character.

I don’t know what went on at Cardiff and it most certainly didn’t paint him in a great light, but he is not like that at all. He was involved in a texting scandal but it seems entirely out of character with the Malky that I know.

I understand Stewart Regan insisted that he was not in the running for the permanent post when he took temporary charge back in November but to my own mind he would be a decent fit for Scotland.