By Aston
January 24 2008

Town Chairman David Sheepshanks has backed former Town manager George Burley to succeed in his new job of managing the Scottish national side. Burley, who was sacked by Town in October 2002, has gone to become a very well respected manager for what he did in his spells at Derby and Hearts.

Mr Sheepshanks: "It is a marvellous honour for George and it is a job I have no doubt he will be proud to do and will do very well.

"George is a great patriot of Scotland and having started his club management career in Scotland I'm sure he will be welcomed back by everyone north of the border.

"If you contrast when he was a young manager here at Ipswich he is now experienced at the highest level, both in the Premier League and the Championship, along with Scottish Premier League level.

"He has all the attributes needed to make a success of the job in Scotland.

"I'm sure I speak for everyone in Suffolk when I wish him the very best of good fortune with the job.

"It is a big jump and there are no guarantees. The cry we often hear from international managers is that they miss the day-to-day involvement of club football and not having their players all the time.

"I'm sure it will be no different for George to begin with but he has been a club manager for nearly 20 years now and when you have had that experience the very different regime of international football may be rather appealing."

Source: EADT

Talk about Town on our Message Board.