Docherty Takes Charge of Scotland Under-21s with Naismith as His Assistant
Tony Docherty has been named the new head coach of Scotland's Under-21 team, with Steven Naismith joining as his assistant. The Scottish FA confirmed the appointments on 24 August 2026, ending a near-decade tenure for predecessor Scot Gemmill. (BBC Sport)
Docherty, 55, is a seasoned manager in the Scottish game. He most recently managed Dundee and had a spell in charge of Ross County. Before stepping into the dugout himself, he was a trusted assistant to Derek McInnes at both Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, and he previously worked as part of Gordon Strachan's backroom team with the senior Scotland squad. (BBC Sport)
His right-hand man brings plenty of international experience of his own. Naismith, 39, managed Hearts before moving into the national-team setup, where he served as assistant to Steve Clarke for almost a year. Clarke departed the Scotland job after the World Cup campaign, with Belgian coach Sebastien Pocognoli announced as his successor. (BBC Sport)
Docherty said he held lengthy discussions with Scottish FA chief football officer Craig Mulholland and also met Pocognoli as part of the appointment process — an early sign that the Under-21 setup will be closely aligned with the senior team's vision. (BBC Sport)
The Under-21s, for those unfamiliar, are effectively Scotland's bridge between youth academy football and the full national team. Players who impress at this level often graduate to the senior squad, so the coaching staff's ability to develop talent matters as much as any result on the pitch.
What makes the pairing interesting is how neatly the two résumés complement each other. Docherty has spent decades in club management and knows the Scottish game inside out. Naismith, still young enough to have played alongside some of the players he will now coach, brings recent international experience and a direct link to Clarke's era. Together they inherit a side that Gemmill shaped over nearly ten years in charge.
For Scottish fans, the hope is straightforward: a smooth pipeline of players ready for Pocognoli's senior team, and an Under-21 side that plays with purpose. The appointment of two coaches steeped in the Scottish game, both with recent national-team experience, points in that direction.
