John Spencer has hailed the appointment of Sébastien Pocognoli as Scotland manager as a “refreshing” shift in direction, believing the Belgian can build upon the strong foundations left by Steve Clarke.

Speaking on the SNN Sports Football Voices Podcast, the former Chelsea striker pointed to Pocognoli’s impressive track record at Union Saint-Gilloise, where he guided the club to their first league title in 90 years.

“I think they won the first league title under him, got them qualification to the Champions League for the first time in their history. I think it’s a good, refreshing appointment,” Spencer said.

However, Spencer acknowledged the sudden and dramatic nature of the transition following Clarke’s departure after the World Cup.

“You’ve got to look at it two ways. It’s a massive change of direction from Steve Clarke. Only six or eight weeks ago, they handed a new four-year contract to Stevie, who has been very successful with a more pragmatic style of play and got us to major tournaments, and then he resigns just after the World Cup exit.

“All of a sudden, they were using AI, and now we’re moving to this fast, open, free-flowing type of coach. It’s almost like somebody’s just ripped up the script, written a new playbook, and this is the direction they’re going in.

But listen, it could be quite exciting. Hopefully, for the nation, it is.”

The Tartan Army won’t have to wait long to see the new-look side in action. Pocognoli will take charge for a crucial four-match block of UEFA Nations League fixtures across September and October against North Macedonia, Slovenia, and Switzerland.

Listen to John Spencer and Scott Bradley’s full discussion on Pocognoli’s intriguing appointment on the SNN Sports Football Voices Podcast