Following the departure of Shelley Kerr, the Scottish FA National Youth Team coach will take charge for the final two matches of the Euro 2022 qualifying campaign; Scottish FA continues its recruitment process for a permanent head coach
Friday 29 January 2021 16:06, UK
Stuart McLaren has been appointed Scotland Women's interim head coach for the upcoming fixtures against Cyprus and Portugal.
Following the departure of Shelley Kerr, McLaren will take charge for the final two matches of the Euro 2022 qualifying campaign, while the Scottish FA (SFA) continues its recruitment process for a permanent replacement.
McLaren, previously manager of Stirling Albion, joined the SFA in 2016 and was appointed as National Youth Team coach in 2018, leading Scotland U16s to their Victory Shield win in 2019 and has experience working with many of the women's senior side through their coaching programme.
"I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead the women's national team on an interim basis as the squad look to refocus and set their sights on competing at a major tournament once again," McLaren said.
"The team were obviously incredibly disappointed not to qualify for the Euros but now we have the chance to ensure we end the campaign on a high and bring back the feel-good factor surrounding the squad before the new head coach is appointed.
"The women's team have done incredibly well over the last few years, inspiring a nation and I am excited about being given the opportunity to make a positive impact in the short time I have with the squad, providing the players with the necessary support and guidance."
The SFA's chief executive Ian Maxwell said: "Stuart brings a wealth of experience into his role as Interim Head Coach, having been involved at a variety of levels within the game.
"He has excelled within the Scottish FA since joining in November 2016 and his coaching abilities are highly regarded throughout the country.
"The process to appoint a new head coach of the Scotland Women's National Team is well under way and having Stuart taking over as Interim Head Coach allows us more time to select the best candidate ahead of the Women's World Cup Qualifiers beginning later this year."
