England drawing Scotland in 2018 World Cup qualifying last week generated excitement all over the globe, including in the city of Kuala Lumpur, which Scotland’s Andy Roxburgh now calls home.
Roxburgh was Scotland head coach for seven years, taking them to two major tournaments, including the 1990 World Cup.
Since March, the title of technical director of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has been added to a glittering resume that includes 18 years in a similar role with Uefa.
“Like most Scottish fans, my reaction was one of excitement when Scotland drew England,” Roxburgh told ESPN FC.
“This game is always dramatic but it will become even more exciting. For England an away match with Scotland will be a real test, of their ability and their nerve. This group will give Scotland a decent chance of qualification.”
Roxburgh’s new job in Asia comes hot on the heels of his two years working with the likes of Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill as sporting director of the New York Red Bulls.
And the former centre forward has wasted no time in attempting some ambitious projects.
This month will see the first AFC Conference for National Team Coaches which will bring Asia’s top football brains — including Australia’s Ange Postecoglou, Japan’s Vahid Halilhodzic and China’s Alain Perrin — to Kuala Lumpur for a three-day seminar.
“The aim is to reflect on recent events, particularly the Asian Cup, and to discuss the way forward,” he said. “We will consider what Asia needs to do to bridge the gap with the world’s elite.
“Our priority is to focus on coach education and player development, which is all a matter of chance, or design. We prefer the latter.”
The 2014 World Cup saw Asia’s four representatives fail to win a match in their worst performance in more than two decades. Roxburgh agrees that plenty of work needs to be done to ensure better future results, with grassroots and elite junior development at the heart of it.
“Having watched a number of the games in Australia at the Asian Cup, like everyone else, I am aware of the potential in Asia. There is a lot of talent and we should be optimistic about the future in a region with amazing differences of culture, football background and attitudes.”
It is a big job for Roxburgh to take on, especially after almost two decades in the more mature footballing landscape of Uefa. But at 71 years young, this contemporary and former teammate of Sir Alex Ferguson — they were strike partners at Scottish top flight side, Falkirk — seems ready for the challenge.
Roxburgh took over the Scotland national coaching job in 1986 after Sir Alex’s nine months in charge following the sudden death of the legendary Jock Stein.
“Sir Alex and I have worked together on many an occasion, with the Scottish FA and Uefa in the last 30 years, but when it comes to coaching, you can’t speak about me and Sir Alex in the same breath,” he said.
“His exploits with Manchester United have made him one of the top coaches of all time, while I spent much of my time in football education and development.
“Alex’s philosophy is to play an aggressive attacking game, with wingers and overlapping full backs, and I admire that.”
Sir Alex oversaw Scotland’s 2-0 aggregate victory over Australia in a play-off for the 1986 World Cup, including the second leg in Melbourne, where Roxburgh worked on a spying mission. Walking across the Melbourne Cricket Ground before the game, he bumped into the groundsman — a former teammate — who had emigrated to Australia after injury had cruelly cut short his professional career when he was trialist at Partick Thistle.
“He had broken his leg and showed me the scars,” Roxburgh said. “It made me realise how fortunate I had been.”
As for Scotland overcoming England, Roxburgh will hope that Gordon Strachan’s team might follow in the footsteps of his Scotland junior side of 1982 that knocked the English out of the UEFA U18 Championships on the way to becoming European champions. he also sat on the bench alongside coach Willie Ormond when Kenny Dalglish’s famous goal helped Scotland’s senior team upset England in Glasgow in 1976.
“Scotland under Gordon Strachan has been improving significantly and it’s a team which is capable of giving the best at difficult times,” he said. “I have always said that Scotland has a world class support… all we need is a world class team to go with it.”
Jason Dasey is senior editor of football website ESPN FC which now has a Southeast Asia edition.