Gordon Strachan has left his post as Scotland manager following failure to reach the World Cup 2018 play-offs.

The SFA will now scour the globe for a new manager to lead the country into the Nations League and Euro 2020 qualifiers.

We have cast our eye over some of the runners and riders for the position.

Appointed as the Scottish FA's performance director in December, Malky Mackay will rank highly in the thoughts of the SFA board as they pull together a list of candidates to succeed Strachan.

The former Watford and Cardiff City manager's reputation took a hit after he admitted sending derogatory text messages to Cardiff's sporting director during his time in charge of the Welsh outfit.

It raised questions upon his appointment to the coveted SFA role responsible for producing outstanding young players.

Backers of the 48-year-old will point to his time in charge of the Welsh outfit, however, where Mackay guided Cardiff to their first promotion the Premier League.

Whether or not he will be tempted to return to the dugout remains to be seen.

Despite suffering the sack following a dismal 2016/2017 campaign in charge of Sunderland that culminated in relegation to the English Championship, David Moyes will be touted for the vacant national team post.

The 54-year-old has so far failed to shake off the hangover from his failure as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Manchester United, enduring disappointing spells at Real Sociedad and Sunderland in the aftermath.

The success of his time in charge of Everton - where he created a well-drilled, effective side known for its high-tempo style - still lingers in memory, however, and the international scene could be the perfect place to detox the system and restore his reputation.

While he did not go as far as to throw his name in the ring, the man known as Big Sam was unwilling to rule himself out when pressed on his interest in taking over from Strachan.

The 62-year-old brings an impressive CV to the table - with notable stints in charge of Bolton, Sunderland and Crystal Palace - and boasts a 100% win record in international management during his ill-fated one-game spell as England boss.

Often labelled a long-ball manager, Allardyce's focus on set-pieces would go some way to cure Scotland's Achilles' heel, which came back to haunt them twice on Sunday in Slovenia.

Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes has impressed many during his time in charge in the north east, establishing the Dons as the closest challengers to Celtic over the last couple of seasons.

His style of play has drawn plaudits, with his Aberdeen team displaying flexibility on the park that has helped deliver consistent results.

McInnes has previously displayed his loyalty to the Dons, turning down Sunderland's overtures during the summer.

At 46, he may feel it is too early to give up the day-to-day hands-on nature of club management just yet.

Paul Lambert is out of work after his sacking from Wolverhampton Wanderers in May and will likely hold an interest in succeeding Strachan.

The ignominy of his Wolves exit would have been a bitter pill for the former Celtic midfielder to swallow, coming after his spell at Blackburn Rovers also turned sour.

But Lambert displayed a Midas touch to lead Norwich City from League One to the top flight and steadied the ship at a flailing Aston Villa.

The 50-year-old managed Scotland to relative success ten years ago but ultimately failed to qualify for the European Championships and left for the glamour of the English Premier League with Birmingham City.

Winning the League Cup proved the highlight of his time with the Blues and, after suffering relegation, McLeish moved to city rivals Aston Villa amid much controversy.

Hampered by such media and fan furore, the former Aberdeen defender's time in England soon came to an end.

Of late, McLeish has managed in Belgium with Genk and Egypt with Zamalek.

Returning to a more familiar climate in charge of the national team is bound to be of interest.

The Hibs boss would divide opinion among the Tartan Army if he was unveiled on the Hampden turf as the new national team manager.

Backers will argue Lennon knows the Scottish game inside out having spent the majority of his playing and coaching career north of the border.

He has also displayed tactical nous during his time in charge of Celtic and Hibs.

They will also point to his trophy cabinet as a boss, winning five at Celtic, and the Championship last season to end Hibs' three-year hiatus from the top flight.

A renowned fiery character, Lennon would have no problem motivating the squad but critics will contest the controversy that often follows the Northern Irishman is just too hard to ignore.

The work of Lennon's compatriot Tommy Wright at St Johnstone is bound to have impressed Hampden bigwigs, establishing the Perth outfit as a perennial top six Premiership side.

The Northern Irishman has created a well-drilled Saints capable of winning on the road, a trait with obvious value during an arduous international qualifying campaign.

Critics will suggest a lack of experience beyond St Johnstone would make Wright a risky bet.

Michael O'Neill has followed up the feat of taking Northern Ireland to the European Championships by securing their spot in the qualifying play-offs for the World Cup.

Much would depend on how the play-offs go but should they fail to progress Edinburgh-based O'Neill will become a front-runner to take over from Strachan.

He has shown himself capable of maximising the talents of a squad bereft of true quality, turning journeymen performers into international stars when they pull on the green jersey.

Jurgen Klinsmann has enjoyed previous success in international management, managing Germany to a third-placed finish at the 2006 World Cup and the United States to the round of 16 during the 2014 edition.

The German is now out of work after he was sacked by the United States following World Cup qualifying defeats to Mexico and Costa Rica last year.

The US failed to secure a spot in Russia after losing to Trinidad & Tobago under new boss Bruce Arena.

Gemmill has drawn plaudits for his work with the national team at youth level, leaving the 48-year-old as an outside bet for a step up to the senior set-up.

He has steered the Scotland under-21s to two wins from three so far in European Championship qualifying, bouncing back from a disappointing defeat to England by beating Latvia on Monday.

The former Scotland midfielder also managed the under-17s to a historic victory over Brazil at the Toulon Tournament during the summer.

Untested at the top level in club or senior international football, his promotion would not be without risk.