SIR Alex Ferguson is set to meet the Scottish Football Association this week and could be handed a major role with his country's national team.

Ferguson, who coached the national team following the death of Jock Stein in 1985, is to retire as United manager at the end of this campaign after 15 trophy-filled years in charge.

And he has been earmarked for a role upstairs at United - possibly in an ambassadorial capacity.

However the SFA are keen to get Ferguson's input as they look to rebuild following the departure of Craig Brown and a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign that saw them miss out on a trip to the Japan and South Korea.

A spokesman for the SFA confirmed the meeting, saying: "We will be speaking about a whole range of things connected to Scottish football.''

And SFA chief executive David Taylor is also confident that Ferguson's opinion will be of great benefit to his country's prospects of qualifying for the 2004 European Championships.

'Wide-ranging role'

"We are not going there to offer him the Scotland job as he has stated quite clearly that he is not interested," he told the Daily Mirror.

``But we will have a wide-ranging football discussion and we are obviously interested in what he is going to be doing in later life.

``It's not a question of us going there to specifically offer him a job. We will be speaking about a whole number of things connected with Scottish football.'

``We will see what comes out of the discussion. The good thing is we are talking to one of the most respected people in the game who is keen to help Scotland in whichever way he can. We will see what comes of it."

The meeting could be of concern to Ferguson's many followers as any role with the Scottish national team would obviously give him less time to work on United's behalf.

What role should Fergie have at United when he stops being manager at the end of the season? Let us know your views.

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