Malky Mackay confirmed as Scottish FA's new performance director
Thursday 15 December 2016 23:24, UK
Malky Mackay has been confirmed as the Scottish FA's new performance director.
The former Cardiff and Wigan boss takes over the role from Brian McClair who stepped down from the position after 18 months last July.
Mackay, who also had a spell in charge of Watford, will be responsible for overseeing the strategy designed to improve elite talent development across the game in Scotland, working in partnership with the clubs to deliver successful future international players.
SFA chief executive Stewart Regan said: "From the start of the recruitment process, Malky was an outstanding candidate and by the end of that thorough process he was the outstanding candidate.
"His experiences as a player and a manager are complemented by his strategic outlook and commitment to implement many of the exciting proposals the Performance Working Group have discussed in recent months.
"Malky will spend the initial weeks and months immersing himself in these recommendations and speaking to all relevant groups to provide a future framework that is conducive to meeting our shared objective: to provide a better standard of player for the benefit of our clubs and, ultimately, our national teams."
Mackay, who played for Celtic, Norwich City, West Ham and Watford during a career which saw him capped five times for Scotland, said: "I am immensely proud and privileged to become Performance Director and I am acutely aware of the importance of this role in achieving future success for our talented young players.
"As someone who was fortunate enough to develop as a young player at Queen's Park and realise my dream of playing for my country at the national stadium, this feels like coming home. I can't wait to work in partnership with our clubs and my colleagues at the Scottish FA to help improve future generations of Scotland players."
In 2014, the 44-year-old was the subject of a Football Association investigation concerning text messages he had sent while manager of Cardiff containing discriminatory language. The FA did not charge Mackay, who admitted the content of the messages was "disrespectful of other cultures" and he apologised for his actions.
He has been out the game since being sacked by Wigan in April 2015. During his six months with the club they won five games out of 24 played in the Championship and were relegated one month later.
And Mackay believes the time spent out of football management will help him succeed in his new role at Hampden Park.
Speaking to the assembled media at the national stadium, he said; "I apologised for my actions publicly and in front of cameras and I apologised privately for the three texts to the two gentlemen that I had spoken about.
"For the last three years I've been involved in diversity and equality meetings and basically have been on an education for the last three years to the point where probably I know more about it than probably anyone else in this room in terms of actually talking to young players and young coaches on the subject.
"It is something I have been involved with in London, Birmingham, Manchester and abroad and I think it is something I am pretty well versed in and like everything, I think it's about educating yourself generally."
Regan, who has been in his position at the head of the Scottish FA since the summer of 2010, has backed Mackay to move on his mistakes of the past.
He said: "Within our equality strategy we talk about being fair and inclusive and we accept that Malky has made mistakes and said things that were regrettable.
"But he has shown genuine remorse and we were impressed and encouraged by the actions he has taken since apologising for what he said.
"We actually believe Malky will be a force for good for Scottish football. he will be part of our equality and diversity strategy and be a real advocate for the role."
