Sebastien Pocognoli has finalised his Scotland coaching staff, retaining Alan Irvine and Chris Woods while adding Luke Benstead and Cameron Campbell as assistant coaches ahead of his first squad announcement and the upcoming Nations League fixtures.
Alan Irvine will continue as assistant coach, combining his Scotland duties with his role as David Moyes’ number two at Everton. The 68-year-old, who first joined the national setup under Steve Clarke after Euro 2024, shares a prior link with Pocognoli, having signed the Belgian as a player during his brief spell as West Brom manager in 2014. Pocognoli highlighted Irvine’s extensive experience, including recent World Cup exposure and ongoing Premier League work, as a major asset for the new regime.
Goalkeeping coach Chris Woods also remains in post, bringing a wealth of top-level experience from roles at clubs including Everton, Manchester United and West Ham, plus stints with the US national team before his Scotland appointment.
Luke Benstead joins on a full-time basis from Istanbul Başakşehir, where he served as assistant and set-piece coach. His career path includes early work at Tranmere Rovers, spells at Everton and Manchester United, where he worked under Jose Mourinho as a performance analyst, and seven years as an assistant with the Belgian national side alongside Roberto Martinez and Domenico Tedesco. Pocognoli praised Benstead’s modern, wide-ranging skill set and set-piece expertise as key reasons for his appointment.
Cameron Campbell arrives as the third assistant coach, currently a first-team coach at Tottenham Hotspur under Roberto De Zerbi, having previously worked with Thomas Frank. The Lossiemouth-born coach came through roles at Aberdeen, Rangers and the Right to Dream Academy before a standout period as a transition and first-team coach at RB Leipzig, which helped propel him into the Premier League. Pocognoli has described Campbell as one of Europe’s most promising young coaching talents emerging from Scottish football.
Irvine, Benstead and Campbell will work alongside Chris Woods as Pocognoli’s core senior staff. The men’s A-team setup will also be supported by the recently appointed Scotland Under-21 coaching duo of Tony Docherty and Steven Naismith to improve alignment between age groups.
Pocognoli is due to name his first Scotland squad on Tuesday ahead of the Nations League campaign later this month. Scotland begin away to Slovenia on 26 September, marking the start of Pocognoli’s tenure in competitive fixtures.