Gordon Strachan will lead Scotland into the FIFA World Cup qualifiers after signing a two-year extension as national coach.

The Scottish FA is delighted that Gordon has agreed to remain in charge after the unwavering support demonstrated by the Scotland fans throughout the European Qualifying campaign.

He will now lead the country through an exciting FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifying group, that includes the resumption of rivalries with England. Gordon will again be assisted by the newly appointed Motherwell manager, Mark McGhee, and the former Rangers manager, Stuart McCall, both of whom were equally keen to be part of the quest to reach the finals in Russia.

Gordon Strachan: “It is an honour and a privilege to manage my country and, in a way, that has made the disappointment of not qualifying for Euro 2016 all the more profound. None the less, the reaction from the supporters throughout the campaign, and in particular from those who travelled to Faro in their thousands, is an experience that will live with me for the rest of my life. It was a recognition that the players’ efforts had been appreciated.

“That appreciation and goodwill has also been apparent in the messages of support I have received this week, from emails and letters to chats in the street.

“I want the best for our country and for those players and I believe we can make Scotland proud in the upcoming qualifiers. For that reason, I am delighted to have been asked to continue in my role and I look forward to working with my backroom staff and the players to improve on the previous campaign and look forward to the World Cup qualifiers with optimism.”

Stewart Regan, Scottish FA Chief Executive: “The Board of the Scottish FA has been consistent in our belief that Gordon should continue the good work that has been apparent in many performances and results throughout the previous campaign. Similarly, the supporters and the players have been overwhelming in their view that Gordon is the national coach to lead us into the World Cup qualifying campaign. The mutual respect and stability that exists is essential to our future success and we all look forward to planning for Russia 2018.”