Former St Mirren boss Danny Lennon to take charge of Scotland U21s

Danny Lennon will take charge of the Scotland U21 squad for their friendly match in Hungary next month.

I am proud to have been given this opportunity to look after the U21 squad for their match against Hungary.

The former St Mirren and Cowdenbeath manager, who has undertaken his UEFA Pro Licence with the Scottish FA, will begin duties on Wednesday and has agreed to work in a short-term capacity pending the recruitment of a new performance director.
 
The SFA aims to conclude this process, in conjunction with an expert panel including Scotland national coach Gordon Strachan and former national coaches Walter Smith and Andy Roxburgh, before the end of the month.
 
Ricky Sbragia, who oversaw the squad for their friendly match with Switzerland in November, will resume his responsibilities as U19 coach as they prepare for their UEFA European U19 Championship elite round matches at the end of March.
 
Lennon began his managerial career at Cowdenbeath, leading them to successive promotions in 2009 and 2010, before taking over at St Mirren in June 2010.

'Proud'

The highlight of his time with the club was leading them to the their first Scottish League Cup success three years later. 

“I am proud to have been given this opportunity to look after the U21 squad for their match against Hungary," he said.
 
“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.”
 
Stewart Regan, SFA chief executive, said: “I am pleased Danny has agreed to take charge of the team for the upcoming 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 focussed on appointing a new performance director and we hope to be in a position to make an announcement in the near future.”