Spanish Roberto Martinez has emerged as one of the leading candidates to take charge of the Scotland national team, just days after leaving his role as Portugal manager following their elimination in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.

The Scottish Football Association began searching for a new head coach after Steve Clarke resigned following Scotland's group-stage exit from the World Cup.

Scottish media reports, cited by Spanish newspaper AS and British network TalkSport, stated that Martinez is now among the names strongly in contention, citing his long ties to Scotland both professionally and personally.

The 52-year-old Spanish coach has a special connection to the country, having previously played for Motherwell and meeting his Scottish wife there in 2002, which makes the idea of returning to live and work in Scotland a viable option for him.

Australian Ange Postecoglou was among the top candidates to succeed Clarke before taking over at Saudi club Al-Nassr, noting that Martinez himself was also a candidate for the Al-Nassr job.

For his part, Alex Crook, chief football correspondent for TalkSport, confirmed that Martinez's candidacy for the Scotland job is not mere speculation.

He said: 'It may seem surprising, but it's not far from reality. I was told some time ago that Martinez was among the names even being considered for the Celtic job.'

He added: 'I think he has a Scottish wife, and he wouldn't mind the idea of living in Scotland.'

He pointed out that the biggest obstacle would be the financial aspect, explaining: 'He would have to take a significant pay cut compared to what he was earning with Portugal.'

He added: 'Or perhaps the Scottish FA would need to find external support and investment, as happened with the US federation when they hired Mauricio Pochettino.'