Scotland boss Strachan signs two-year extension

Strachan had taken time to consider his future after Scotland were unable to make it to next year's finals in France.

But the vocal backing of Scotland's supporters during their final qualifier against Gibraltar helped persuade former Southampton boss Strachan he should stay on to tackle the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

"It is an honour and a privilege to manage my country and, in a way, that has made the disappointment of not qualifying for Euro 2016 all the more profound," Strachan said.

"None the less, the reaction from the supporters throughout the campaign, and in particular from those who travelled to Faro in their thousands, is an experience that will live with me for the rest of my life. It was a recognition that the players' efforts had been appreciated.

"That appreciation and goodwill has also been apparent in the messages of support I have received this week, from emails and letters to chats in the street."

Strachan will now begin work on preparing Scotland's bid to reach the World Cup in Russia, with his side in a group containing England, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania and Malta.

"I want the best for our country and for those players and I believe we can make Scotland proud in the upcoming qualifiers," Strachan added.

"For that reason, I am delighted to have been asked to continue in my role and I look forward to working with my backroom staff and the players to improve on the previous campaign and look forward to the World Cup qualifiers with optimism."

Strachan will again be assisted by Mark McGhee, who took over as Motherwell manager on Tuesday, and former Glasgow Rangers boss Stuart McCall.