FOR someone who was being touted for the Scotland manager’s job not so very long ago, it could easily be viewed as something of a comedown.

Taking charge of part-time East Kilbride in a Lowland League match up at the K Park? It isn’t quite the same as being in the dugout in a World Cup qualifier against England in front of a sell-out crowd at Hampden is it?

Yet, Billy Stark, who has just been announced, to the surprise of some in the Scottish game, as the new Kilby boss, doesn’t view the latest stop on his long and varied coaching career as being a backwards step whatsoever.

Both his excitement at the potential of his ambitious new club and his happiness at working in club football once again were obvious as he discussed his new role over a coffee in Glasgow city centre last week.

“A lot of people have told me they are a bit taken aback at me taking the East Kilbride job,” he said. “But I think it is a really good fit.

“East Kilbride are looking to be as professional as they can be and get into a professional league. I will bring my experience and try and help the players and club move forward, do the right things, conduct themselves properly. They have made massive progress in a very short space of time. They just feel they need to get to that next stage as soon as possible.”

Stark has certainly operated at a higher level in the past. He was made interim Scotland manager after Craig Levein was sacked five years ago. Stewart Regan, the SFA chief executive, publicly stated the then under-21 manager had a realistic chance of landing the position on a full-time basis if he impressed.

He duly, despite being hit with a spate of late call-offs, oversaw a 2-1 win over Luxembourg away from home in a friendly international. But no offer was forthcoming. Gordon Strachan was brought in instead.

He wasn’t, though, in the slightest bit put out at being overlooked for his former Aberdeen team mate. “I don’t have any regrets.” he said. “What’s for you won’t go by you. To be honest, I didn’t really push myself to get the job.

“I certainly liked taking the big team for that game, but I just sensed it wasn’t quite right. You get a feeling for things. It wasn’t offered to me anyway. I could have been encouraged to go for it. I ruled myself out from being considered.

“It was the pinnacle, without a doubt. To win the game was great, too. But I weighed things up. I just thought that, with the scrutiny that would be on me and the pressure that my family would be put under as a result, it wasn’t right for me.

“Wee Gordon is in an unenviable position because of the expectations that are there. Scotland had that long period, basically between 1974 and 1998, where we just expected to qualify for tournaments. It is hard for people to take that we can’t do that any more. But you need to have a dose of realism there. We aren’t producing the calibre of player we once were. It isn’t easy.”

Stark would know. He was repeatedly thwarted in his efforts to lead the under-21 side to the European Championship finals during his six year tenure. His most frustrating near thing came in 2010 when his charges topped their qualifying section only to lose out to Iceland in a two-legged play-off.

Subsequent events, however, have put that painful failure firmly in perspective. “The front six that Iceland played against, and beat, England at the Euro 2016 finals last summer was the same front six that played against us,” he said. “They had over 100 full caps in their team when we played them.”

Stark’s most recent involvement in football came in the lower leagues and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. He was assistant to Darren Young at Albion Rovers for three years. The Cliftonhill club won League Two and then stayed in League One for two seasons running. Being informed by letter last season that their services were no longer required understandably rankled.

“They didn’t handle the situation very well,” he said. “Darren had won them the league, kept them up and kept them up again for the first time in their history. You do ask: ‘What more can be done’.”

Having been a manager in his own right at Morton, St. Johnstone, Queen’s Park and with the Scotland Under-21s as well serving as the assistant at Celtic during the past 23 years, Stark has a wealth of knowledge to bring to a club. But this summer he found that his age - he is now 60 - once again counted against him.

“When I came out of the under-21s a few years ago I maybe wrongly expected to get a few job offers,” he said. “They didn’t materialise. You have to gauge why that is.

“Being out of the club scene for eight years was probably a factor. But I think experience is sometimes underestimated. In saying that, Tommy (Burns) and I started at Kilmarnock when we were around 35. Young managers should get a chance. That is the way it should be. But my feeling was my age worked against me a wee bit.

“It doesn’t matter what level you think you are capable of working at. What is important is that other people think you can as well. I haven’t been inundated with offers. I think the age thing comes into a bit.”

The former St. Mirren, Aberdeen and Celtic midfielder, then, hasn’t required to swallow any pride moving to East Kilbride. Quite the opposite. He is genuinely enthused. He feels securing a place in League Two via the play-offs would rank alongside any of his many achievements in the game. And there have been a few.

“East Kilbride are very ambitious,” he said. “Look at the size of the place. It’s massive. They have a big catchment area. The set-up is absolutely first class, it really is, better than just about all the clubs I have been at for the last few seasons.

“As a manager, you are looking for decent facilities, resources and the backing of the people who are running the club. That is all in place. That is a big part of the reason I took it. I have never been frightened of a challenge.”