Scotland target Levein for manager’s role

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has asked Dundee United for permission to speak to their manager, Craig Levein, about taking charge of the national team.

Levein, 45, has been the favourite to succeed George Burley since Rangers manager Walter Smith ruled himself out of a return to the Scotland job, and is reported to be giving serious consideration to a switch to international football.

Burley was dismissed in the wake of a 3-0 friendly defeat by Wales which followed Scotland’s failure to reach the play-offs for a place in next year’s World Cup.

Levein, a former Scotland international whose playing career was ended prematurely by injury, made his reputation as a manager with a successful 2000-04 spell in charge of Hearts.

A brief, unhappy stint as manager of Leicester followed and Levein returned to management in Scotland with Raith Rovers before taking over at Dundee United in 2008.

He guided the Tangerines to fifth place in the SPL in his first season in charge and they currently sit in fourth, despite being deprived, through injury, of last season’s top scorer Francisco Sandaza and captain Lee Wilkie.

The SFA has indicated that it wants to have the new manager in place before the draw for the qualifying tournament for Euro 2012 is made on February 7.