Irvine stays as Pocognoli refreshes Scotland staff

WHAT HAPPENED
Sebastien Pocognoli has finalised his first Scotland backroom team and kept Everton assistant Alan Irvine in place. The Scottish FA confirmed Irvine will remain alongside retained goalkeeping coach Chris Woods and two new assistants, Luke Benstead and Cameron Campbell.

Pocognoli, who was named Steve Clarke’s successor last month, completed the appointments ahead of naming his first Scotland squad on Tuesday and preparing for an extended international window.

KEY CONTEXT
- Irvine joined Scotland’s national-team setup after Euro 2024 and continues to combine that role with his work at Everton. He previously had a brief spell as West Brom manager and signed Pocognoli as a player during that time in 2014, according to the BBC report.
- Luke Benstead brings experience from seven years working with the Belgium national setup, progressing from performance analyst to assistant coach, and was later appointed as Istanbul Basaksehir’s assistant manager about a year ago.
- Cameron Campbell is 35, has worked in the academies at Aberdeen and Rangers, moved to RB Leipzig in 2024 as head of player development and was Tottenham Hotspur’s first-team individual development coach last year.
- Chris Woods remains as Scotland’s goalkeeping coach, having been part of the previous regime.

WHY IT MATTERS
Pocognoli has blended continuity and fresh expertise: retaining Irvine and Woods preserves institutional knowledge, while Benstead and Campbell add analytical, set-piece and player development credentials. That mix reflects Pocognoli’s stated intent to take time over assembling his staff and to bring in people whose skills he values for the early phase of his tenure.

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Pocognoli will announce his first Scotland squad on Tuesday and then hold his initial national-team camp.
- Scotland’s upcoming international window includes two Nations League fixtures against Slovenia, with matches against Switzerland and North Macedonia also scheduled during the extended period.
- How Benstead’s set-piece responsibilities and Campbell’s player-development role translate into immediate impact at senior level will be key to monitor.

KEY FACTS
- Alan Irvine will continue as an assistant for Scotland while still working at Everton.