There were plenty of eyes on Gordon Strachan and his backroom staff as they took Scotland training at Marr Hall earlier this week.
Coaches taking their UEFA Pro Licence course were invited along to watch the training session from the touchline and learn from Gordon’s methods with the Scotland National Team.
Dundee manager Paul Hartley and Partick Thistle boss Alan Archibald were among several well-known faces to take part in the session.
Hearts Head Coach Robbie Nielson – who will lift the Championship title with his team this weekend – was also at Marr Hall and praised the practical elements of the course.
He told the Scottish FA: “It’s a great licence. I’ve done all my licences here so far and I think it’s fantastic the way they are run. A lot of it is out on the pitch and there’s a lot of information given. I know a lot of the foreign coaches come over because it’s a practical course. It’s a great one to have and I’ve enjoyed it so far.”
The UEFA Pro Licence is the highest coaching qualification available and is required by anyone who wishes to manage a top-level football club for a period of more than 12 weeks.
The Scottish FA course has seen names such as Jose Mourinho and Marcello Lippi pass through in recent years and is regarded as one of the best in Europe.
For Valencia Assistant Manager and former Dundee United Youth Ian Cathro, the choice of where to take his Pro-Licence was an easy one.
He said: “There’s a great vastness of people on the course with various different backgrounds and skills, all at various different stages of their career. A lot of guys who are already working and a lot with some significant experience. There is a lot of young guys who are still projecting to the point where they’d be ready to work.
“For me it’s the most obvious place to do it because it’s home and it’s the most natural place to come and finish your education.”