Alan Irvine will continue his duties with the Scotland national team while maintaining his position at Everton, as new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli finalizes his coaching setup. The Scottish FA confirmed that Irvine remains part of the staff alongside new appointments Luke Benstead and Cameron Campbell, along with retained goalkeeping coach Chris Woods.
Pocognoli, who succeeded Steve Clarke last month, has a history with Irvine dating back to 2014 when the former West Brom manager signed the Belgian as a player at The Hawthorns. Irvine originally joined the national team framework under Clarke following Euro 2024.
The new backroom team includes Benstead, a former Belgium national team coach with seven years of experience working with high-profile talents, and Campbell, a 35-year-old Scot who previously held roles at Aberdeen and Rangers before moving to RB Leipzig as head of player development in 2024. Campbell also spent the last year as Tottenham Hotspur’s first-team individual development coach, while Benstead served as assistant manager at Istanbul Basaksehir.
Pocognoli expressed satisfaction with his selections, noting the strong recommendations he received from contacts in the English Premier League and German football regarding Campbell. He highlighted Benstead’s comprehensive skill set, particularly his expertise in set-pieces, and praised Woods’ extensive knowledge as a goalkeeper coach.
“It was important for me to assemble the right backroom staff at the start of this new challenge,” Pocognoli said. “I am really pleased that Alan didn’t hesitate in agreeing to stay on. His passion for the role is obvious, as is his quality on the training pitch.”
With the coaching staff now in place, Pocognoli is set to announce his first Scotland squad on Tuesday ahead of his inaugural training camp. The team will face an extended international window featuring Two Nations League matches against Slovenia, as well as fixtures against Switzerland and North Macedonia.
Irvine keeping his Everton job while coaching Scotland seems like a lot on one plate. Can he truly give both roles the time they need?
Campbell from RB Leipzig and Spurs? Interesting pick. Hope his development work translates to the national setup effectively.
Good to see Irvine staying. His experience with the squad will help Pocognoli settle in smoothly.