Rafael Benitez has publicly declared his interest in the vacant Scotland head coach position, becoming the highest-profile candidate to do so since Steve Clarke's unexpected resignation. Speaking on Talksport, the 66-year-old Champions League winner said he had watched Scotland at this summer's World Cup and would be "open to the challenge" of taking his first international job, provided he is given "the tools" to succeed. His interest matters because it puts a manager of genuine European pedigree in the frame, even as questions swirl over his recent record and, crucially, his affordability.

Benitez, who recently left Panathinaikos after being sacked following seven months in Athens, built his reputation with two La Liga titles and a Uefa Cup at Valencia before the famous 2005 Champions League triumph with Liverpool, and later won the Europa League with Chelsea in 2013. However, he has held nine jobs since leaving Anfield in 2010, lasting under a year in six of them, including brief spells at Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Everton and Celta Vigo. Cost appears the decisive obstacle: Benitez reportedly earned over £3m a year in Greece, whereas Clarke was on around £500,000, making it seem unrealistic that the Scottish FA could meet his demands, while alternative names such as Ange Postecoglou (now at Al-Nassr) and David Moyes also look out of reach.