Meet the only Scot managing a national team in world football

What the report says

Kurt Herd, a 34-year-old coach from Dundee, has become the only Scottish manager currently leading a men’s national team, after being appointed permanently to guide Dominica. BBC Sport reports that Herd took the job in August following a short interim spell and is now trying to lift the Caribbean side, ranked 182nd in the world, with a small staff and a largely amateur player pool.

Based in Dominica for two years, Herd has worked with the country’s youth teams and previously coached in Scotland, Sweden, Australia, Malaysia and Kyrgyzstan. He says the role demands far more than tactics, because he is effectively handling analysis, scouting, nutrition and player welfare as well as coaching. The team are preparing for Concacaf Nations League B this autumn, with Herd using yoga, mindfulness and stricter off-field standards to raise professionalism.

A key challenge is recruitment. Dominica can only use a limited number of overseas-based players, though that could change for those with Dominican grandparents. Herd has been identifying eligible players through social media and contacts in several countries, including goalkeeper Shamal George. BBC Sport also notes that most of Dominica’s squad play in the domestic league, which Herd compares to Scottish League Two.

Herd says he has grown attached to the country and wants to keep developing as a coach, eventually aiming for a high-level club job. The article presents his appointment as an unusual but notable example of a Scottish coach taking on a demanding international role far from home.