Celtic winger James Forrest has told the Daily Record he wants former teammate Shaun Maloney to be in the running for Scotland boss.
The multi-capped international believes that the ex-Hoops man has what it takes to get the job.
The former youth boss is doing a fantastic job as Belgium assistant manager.
The Tartan Army are looking for a new way forward since parting ways with Alex McLeish.
Perhaps the young forward thinking coach is the best chance for Scotland to progress.
James Forrest calls on Shaun Maloney
The 27-year-old briefly played with Maloney when he came back for his second spell at Celtic.
He will have seen his progress in the youths, looking up to the first-team.
Maloney returned as youth coach for a year before moving on to Belgium.
And Forrest says that current teammate Dedryck Boyata raves about his national coach.
He told the Daily Record: “I played with Shaun at Celtic and Scotland so I know what he is like. Dederyck Boyata is now working with him at Belgium and he is telling me all the Belgian players are really impressed.
“Obviously he is doing well if somebody like Roberto Martinez has taken him on.
“If he came to Scotland I think that would be a really good addition.”
Scotland job too early for Shaun Maloney?
His current record as part of a management team seems very promising.
However, Maloney is in the infancy of his coaching career and hasn’t taken a first-team full-time post yet.
It will need to be taken into account the added pressures that it brings.
As an assistant or as a youth coach he only has to worry about his own job and getting it right.
As a manager, he will need to look at backroom staff, players and keeping everyone right.
Perhaps another couple of seasons under Martinez’s guidance will do him the world of good.
If he continues to progress, then perhaps Maloney could even be a future Celtic manager in waiting.
Should that come to be, then it is the perfect full circle as Maloney will have played and coached at almost all levels of the club.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
