Lennon In Charge Of Scotland U-21s

Photo by Jeff Holmes Former St Mirren manager Danny Lennon will take charge of Scotland Under-21s in their friendly in Hungary next month. Lennon, whose St Mirren contract was not renewed last summer, has agreed to take the team in an interim capacity. The Scottish Football Association has been working on the recruitment of a new performance director and his appointment will allow a permanent successor to Billy Stark to be named. Ricky Sbragia had taken the team for a friendly draw in Switzerland in November in the wake of Stark's departure but the former Sunderland boss will revert to Under-19 duties with his squad preparing for an elite round of games at the end of March. Lennon, who led Cowdenbeath to consecutive promotions before leading Saints to a League Cup triumph in 2013, said in a statement: "I am proud to have been given this opportunity to look after the Under-21 squad for their match against Hungary. "I am also looking forward to working with some of the brightest young Scottish footballers. I greatly appreciate the recognition this offer brings from the Scottish FA and allows me an opportunity to add this exciting new challenge to my established club experience." SFA chief executive Stewart Regan has been consulting with Scotland boss Gordon Strachan and two of his predecessors, Walter Smith and Andy Roxburgh, about a new performance director to replace Mark Wotte and the governing body aims to make an appointment before the end of the month. Former Scotland, Celtic and Manchester United striker Brian McClair, who is director of the Old Trafford youth academy, has been tipped for the post. Regan said: "I am pleased Danny has agreed to take charge of the team for the upcoming Under-21 match before a longer-term appointment can be made. "Danny is a highly regarded coach and has worked at a very good level. I am confident he will look after the squad as they continue their preparations for the European qualifying matches which begin later this year. "The Scottish FA is firmly focused on appointing a new performance director and we hope to be in a position to make an announcement in the near future." The Under-21s play Hungary on March 26.