Scotland manager's job - who's next after pursuit of O'Neill fails?

Scotland's players are still waiting to find out who will be their next manager

Now the Scottish FA's high-profile pursuit of Michael O'Neill has ended in disappointment, to whom do they turn next?

BBC Scotland looks at a few potential candidates to take over from Gordon Strachan.

Alex McLeish

Having been in charge once before, Alex McLeish is likely to be linked with the vacant Scotland job

McLeish's last managerial job was almost two years ago, when he spent three months in charge at Egyptian club Zamalek. He's made no secret of a willingness to revisit the national manager's role he held in 2007.

His win rate with Scotland of 70% is as good as anyone who's held the post and he narrowly missed out on qualifying for Euro 2008.

Malky Mackay

The SFA's performance director Malky Mackay has previously been in charge of the Scotland team

The SFA's performance director took charge of the national team for the November friendly defeat against Netherlands.

But although Mackay wouldn't rule himself out of the running for the job on a full-time basis, the SFA's chief executive Stewart Regan did that for him, saying he wasn't a candidate.

But that was before Michael O'Neill turned them down. Might the SFA now reconsider?

Derek McInnes

Aberdeen have Derek McInnes contracted until 2020

The Aberdeen manager's achievements at club level have attracted admiring glances from elsewhere, but he's turned down both Sunderland and Rangers.

In terms of working Scottish managers, his pedigree is now as impressive as anyone. But his salary may already be beyond what the SFA is willing to pay and there's a good chance that, at 46, he'll feel that international management is not yet for him.

Steve Clarke

Kilmarnock boss Steve Clarke is in his third job as a manager

Clarke has long been a highly respected coach and manager, but the job he has done since taking over Kilmarnock in October has surely been beyond anyone's expectations.

He remains an outsider for the Scotland job as far as bookmakers are concerned, but his work since returning to Scotland cannot have escaped the SFA's attention.

Kilmarnock supporters may not want to hear it, but Clarke could yet come into the running in the wake of O'Neill's decision.

Others?

Guus Hiddink and Lars Lagerback have plenty of experience in international management

With O'Neill, it looks as though the SFA have identified someone with a track record of over-achieving, of making a team that is more than the sum of its parts.

So, who else fits the bill? Lars Lagerback? His success with Iceland was remarkable but he's now in charge of Norway. Guus Hiddink enjoyed terrific success with South Korea and Australia, but not only was that several years ago, he is another whose salary demands would likely exceed the SFA's budget.