Hegarty has been used as a scout by George Burley

Former Livingston boss Paul Hegarty is to join the Scotland coaching set-up, replacing Steven Pressley in manager George Burley's backroom team.

The ex-Dundee United defender won eight caps for his country between 1979 and 1983 and has already been involved in a scouting capacity for Burley.

The 55-year-old will now aid Burley and assistant manager Terry Butcher.

Gary McAllister rejected an approach from Burley, preferring instead to seek a full-time role in English football.

Hegarty, who also had brief spells in charge at Aberdeen and Dundee United, will be introduced to his new position in next month's friendly in Japan, a match Butcher will not attend as he has club commitments with Inverness.

He was player-manager of Forfar Athletic from 1990-92 before his caretaker manager's posts at Pittodrie in 1999 and Tannadice between 2002 and 2003, while coaching jobs at Dunfermline and Motherwell followed.

He took over at troubled Livingston, where he had also coached earlier in his career, last December but lost his job just four months later.

Pressley decided to step down and concentrate on his assistant's post at Falkirk, claiming that he was frustrated at a lack of involvement in tactics under Burley's regime.

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