“I’m realistic—I’m not the one who’ll get the Tartan Army buzzing,” Williamson said. “But bringing in emerging international coaches who’ve proven themselves with Scotland and their clubs might do exactly that.”
The former Rangers, West Brom, Rotherham, and Kilmarnock striker has been away from management for a decade. Yet reading from his home in Nairobi about Steve Clarke stepping down as Scotland head coach set his thoughts in motion.
“I’ve been out of it for a while, but when I saw the bookies’ favourites, I felt my CV compares well,” he said. “I’ve managed two national teams in Africa. In Uganda we were drawing 60,000 at home—intense, passionate support—and I handled that pressure.”
“I know how passionate Scotland’s fans are and how much they hate disappointment. I asked myself, could I take this on?”
Williamson played alongside Ally McCoist at Rangers, and Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson were young midfielders when he managed Hibs. “My first message was to Alistair McCoist: I’m thinking about going for it. He replied, ‘I’m in.’”
“Then I thought about who else—looking long term for Scotland. Bring in younger coaches to gain international experience. Brown and Thomson both earned many Scotland caps and played at the highest level. They’ve got the knowledge, but not yet at coaching level internationally. If I can help them now, it gives Scotland options and continuity later.”
As a manager, Williamson won the Scottish Cup with Kilmarnock in 1997, took Plymouth Argyle up to the Championship, lifted the 2011 CECAFA Cup with Uganda, and led Gor Mahia to Kenya’s league title.
Even so, he admits his candidacy remains a long shot. “It’s a big if. They’ve probably already set the process in motion and identified candidates.”