The Scottish FA have appointed Paul Mathers to the role of Goalkeeping Performance and Coach Education Manager.
Mathers, who joins from St Johnstone, brings with him a wealth of experience, having played over 400 games and worked as a goalkeeping coach for over two decades.
He has worked with almost all Scotland international squads during the past 20 years, while he has also played a significant part delivering the goalkeeping courses in the Scottish FA's Coach Education programme during that time as well.
His new role will see him split his time between Coach Education and working with the Scotland international squads. He will also work closely with the goalkeepers in the Scottish FA JD Performance Schools, while he will monitor the standards within Club Academy Scotland, offering mentoring opportunities to coaches where necessary.
Mathers began his career at Dundee playing 132 matches between 1989 and 1996, before enjoying notable spells at Falkirk, Linfield and Peterhead. He began the transition to his current coaching career in 2001, combining it with his ongoing playing career.
Having ended his playing career at St Mirren, Mathers made the move into the role of goalkeeping coach on a full-time basis. He then joined St Johnstone in 2015, working under Tommy Wright and Callum Davidson.
Following Fraser Stewart's departure from the Scottish FA earlier this year, Mathers joined the Scotland Under-21 side to work with the goalkeepers for their recent matches in September and November.
He now makes the move to the Scottish FA on a full-time basis, following his departure from St Johnstone.
Paul Mathers, Scottish FA Goalkeeping Performance and Coach Education Manager: "Having been involved with the Scottish FA since 2004, coaching goalkeepers in almost every international team in that time, the prospect of joining on a permanent basis was something that was hugely appealing to me at this point in my career.
"Working across Performance and in Coach Education, I am looking forward to putting my experience towards developing the next generation of Scottish goalkeepers and coaches."
Greig Paterson, Scottish FA Head of Coach Education and Development: "Paul is no stranger to goalkeeping coach education, and he has been hugely instrumental in the roll out of our UEFA GK A-Licence along with Jim Stewart in recent years.
"It will now be extremely beneficial to have Paul's expertise and experience with us in a full-time capacity, building on the recently-developed UEFA GK B-Licence and Level 1 goalkeeping courses.
"Aside from that, Paul will work closely with other Scottish FA colleagues to ensure that Scotland's future goalkeepers get the best opportunities and experiences possible.