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Terry Butcher, who played with George Burley at Ipswich Town in the 1970s and 1980s, and who has spent much of his playing and managerial career in Scotland, is fully behind the Scottish Football Association's decision to appoint his former team-mate as national team manager.

Walter Smith and Alex McLeish rebuilt Scotland's reputation and restored the country's footballing credibility, but did not quite manage qualification for this summer's Euro 2008 finals.

Butcher, though, believes Burley will succeed in taking Scotland into a major championship for the first time since France 98.

The main objective for Burley - who gained his management experience at Colchester United, Ipswich Town, Derby County, Hearts and Southampton - will be to get Scotland to the World Cup finals in South Africa in two years' time.

And Butcher told Scottish newspaper the Daily Record: "It's great for the country and great for Scotland in terms of the progress that's been made in recent seasons.

"I thought all four candidates were outstanding, while bringing different attributes to the table, but I always believed George was better than the others.

"Maybe I'm biased because I played with him and know him much better than the others although I think the SFA have made the correct choice.

"Scotland got to the brink of qualification with Walter and Alex but I think George can be the one who finally takes them over the line.

"He's taken on a set-up that is in the process of achieving great things and I genuinely believe Scotland will qualify for the next major tournament.

"One of George's main strengths is gelling non-superstar players into a team and that's exactly what he will be required to do with the national team."

Burleywas a classy right-back who spent 13 seasons at Ipswich, five of them as a team-mate of centre-back Butcher's, learning the art of management under his boss, Sir Bobby Robson.

And Butcher believes Robson's footballing philosophy has rubbed off on Burley - whom he always believed had good managerial potential.

He told the Record: "George has always been someone who thinks very deeply about football and who wants the game to be played in the right way.

"Having been raised at Ipswich it's no surprise every club he's been in charge of have played good football.

"He was one of the best full-backs and best passers I've ever seen in football and he likes his teams to play the same way. A lot of the players who worked under Sir Bobby are trying to put into effect what he told us back then. George is his own man although he has learned a lot from Sir Bobby.

"There's no doubt that along with Brian Clough and Sir Alex Ferguson you couldn't ask for a better mentor than Sir Bobby."

The image of Burley is that of an articulate, deep-thinking man not interested in couring the limelight.

Butcher revealed: "George is not the same sort of character as his predecessors.

"He's a very intelligent man, a very canny man and he only says what needs to be said.

"He's not introverted and while he is certainly not an extrovert he prefers to let his teams do their talking on the pitch.

"He gets the best out of his players and he doesn't suffer fools gladly. His man-management skills are good and that's been proved at every club he's been in charge of.

"His portfolio is excellent and he's similar to Walter and Alex in the respect that he knows what he wants and how to get it."

The manager of Raith Rovers, John McGlynn, also backs Burley to succeed with Scotland.


Endorsement From McGlynn Too

McGlynn was in Burley's coaching team when the new Scotland boss set the SPL alight during a brief but spectacularly successful stint with Hearts two years ago.

He told the Daily Record: "I'm sure George will have a great rapport with the players. The players at Hearts would have done anything for him.

"He was a very good motivator and you could see on the touchline he was a very animated character. Fans relate to that. He is a winner.

"He was a great manager for Hearts. He brought in guys such as Takis Fyssas, Julien Brellier, Rudi Skacel and Edgar Jankuaskas to turn a team that was improving all the time and difficult to beat into a team that were all of a sudden splitting the Old Firm."

Reflecting on the swashbuckling football played by Hearts under Burley, McGlynn said: "The fans were very excited by the style of football. It was very attack-minded and fast flowing.

"It's difficult to put that into perspective regarding international football but he is alert and he will have a good knowledge of the team.

"The training was geared towards that style of football. I'm not sure if it's the same at Southampton and I don't suppose you'd want to do that against France."

source:goal.com