The SFA have announced that Scot Gemmill, who led Scotland to three successive UEFA European Under-17 Championship finals, will take charge of the Scotland under-21 team for their remaining European Championship qualifiers and for the 2017-2019 campaign. He replaces Ricky Sbragia who will continue to work with the national youth teams from under-16 through to under-19 level and will also assist in mentoring the SFA’s Performance School coaches and lower-age national youth team coaches. With Scotland out of contention for a place at next summer’s UEFA Under-21 European Championship Finals in Poland, the changes will provide Gemmill the opportunity to continue working with many of the players that reached the under-17 finals in 2014, 2015 and 2016, some of whom he worked with at under-19 level last season. The draw for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying round is expected to take place in February, with players born in 1996 and later eligible to participate.
Scott Gemmill (c)Jeff Holmes/PA Archive/Press Association Images
Gemmill said: "I am very proud to have been given the opportunity to coach the under-21s. After working with the under-17s and under-19s, I feel ready for and excited by the challenge ahead. I believe we have a number of very talented young players coming through and I will do everything I can to support their development and prepare them for the senior squad. Ricky Sbragia has been invaluable to my own personal development and is a driving force behind these changes, so I would like to thank him for his support. We have less than a year to prepare for the start of the next European Championship qualifiers and the hard work will begin in October for the matches against Iceland and FYR Macedonia."
Sbragia said: "It was disappointing to miss out on a place at next summer’s European Championship but succession planning is something we have discussed for a while at the Scottish FA and it was always the intention for Scot to move to the 21s for the next campaign. Scot is a very talented coach and deserves the chance to make the step up to under-21 level and work with the players he knows well from under-17 and under-19 level. I enjoyed working with the under-21s and feel proud to have helped provide Gordon Strachan with a number of players for his senior squad. I am looking forward to the challenge of working with our younger age groups and helping develop our Performance School and national youth team coaches."
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