If George Burley was the rank outsider on the SFA's four-man shortlist, Phil Anderton is convinced that the Southampton manager would have talked himself into the Scotland job at the interview stage. Burley made a lasting impression on Anderton, the former chief executive of Hearts, when they met in London to discuss the possibility of the latter realising Vladimir Romanov's grand vision to topple the Old Firm duopoly of Scottish football.

What happened next was like a tempestuous affair, a short-lived spell of mutual attraction and excitement before the inevitable extinguishing of hopes and dreams. Scotland stands to benefit from the unfinished business in Burley's mind.

Having barely rated a mention during the protracted recruitment process for the Scotland job, Burley's appointment has surprised many. Not so a trusted ally throughout the trials and traumas of Tynecastle.

"If I was a betting man, I would have put some money on him because I know from experience how impressive he is in the interview situation," Anderton told The Herald. "I met him in London for the Hearts job and he came over as very professional, very impressive and clearly well prepared for the position.

"I never once never got the impression of arrogance or why am I being interviewed?' There was no discussion about finance until after he listened to our ambitions and he told us his.

I think he genuinely bought into the vision of Hearts having a crack at the Old Firm. He knew the players, knew the history of the club and had a real charisma about him. He was very inquisitive, too."

Upon consideration, Burley's cv perhaps vindicates his appointment. An eye-opening introduction at Colchester, an eight-year stewardship of Ipswich Town, the eventful, incident-packed associations with Derby County and Hearts and his most recent fire-fighting job at Southampton have equipped him with a depth of experience that will serve him well in his new quest to ensure Scotland's place in World Cup 2010.

"I think sometimes his credentials have been overlooked, in terms of the real plum jobs," said Anderton, now head of marketing with the Association of Tennis Professionals. "He had experiences of both sides, from the phenomenal achievement in taking Ipswich to fifth in the Premiership to starting out at Colchester. A couple of things marked him out as special for me. He was a winner, but wanted to be a winner with style. It is not quite the Kevin Keegan kamikaze style, but a flair-based approach. The second big factor was his ability to motivate a player, whether he is an international star or a fledgling. He has the uncanny ability of making people feel 10ft tall.

"We had a threadbare team when he took over and the best example I can give is Jamie McAllister. With no disrespect to Jamie, he was a fringe player, his confidence was down and the fans were starting to get on his back. When George came in, he worked with him and used him for a few games.

I remember seeing Jamie and asking how are things?'. He said: Great. Two words: George Burley.' He said George had made him believe in himself again."

Burley's powers of persuasion also delayed the Old Firm's signing of Paul Hartley and Andy Webster, cornerstones of the grand plan that was to be ruined by its very architect.

Anderton recalled: "It was no surprise that Celtic and Rangers were interested in them, but George convinced them that their futures lay at Hearts. Paul responded with the best form of his life and, after lots of speculation, Andy was given time-out from pre-season to think about his future before becoming a mainstay in the team."

Even the most difficult of jobs were carried out with a reassuring smile.

"I saw first-hand the iron fist/velvet glove treatment," added Anderton. "He came in earlier than he was supposed to, but insisted on it. He had to let some people go, players and staff, but he fired them, effectively fired them, with a smile on his face and ended up shaking hands with the people he had just let go at the end of their talk. There was no animosity: he just makes people feel good about themselves, whether he is playing them, signing them or firing them."

That diplomacy and democracy did not extend to the boardroom. Romanov's insistence on interfering in matters of team selection quickly came to a head. Unlike Burley's successors, he refused to back down or compromise with the owner and his henchmen. After a creditable 1-1 away draw against Celtic, he was summoned to a meeting that would set the wheels in motion for his hasty departure.

"He was very much his own man, despite the fantasy manager wanting to run the club and pick the team," said Anderton, who never once mentioned Romanov by name. "You can see how bad a strategy that is with the club second-bottom of the league this season.

"I remember Hearts drew 1-1 at Celtic Park, no mean feat, but he was called into an emergency meeting at the Balmoral to explain why this player didn't play and that one did.

In one case, Romanov insisted that Samuel Cammazola should not have played on the right but central midfield. The fantasy manager berated him for that and for picking Rudi Skacel instead of Saulius Mikoliunas. George simply told the fantasy manager that he had been a coach for 20 years and knew a right midfielder from a central midfielder. The toys flew out of the pram then, but it shows George will not be steered by the media or a fantasy manager."

Taking charge of a Scotland team in rude health is a more encouraging prospect than inheriting a Hearts side bereft of belief, manpower and results, but the approach will be the same.

"I took him to the dressing room for the first time and he could sense the unease, seeing these players with their heads down, not knowing what will happen," said Anderton. "There was no big motivational sermon, he just looked at them with a grin and said I want you to enjoy your football again and I want you to have fun'. That was it, but you could almost see the weight lifting off their shoulders.

"I thoroughly enjoyed working with him and other people should be ashamed of the lies and character smears. He ignored all that but, of course, I still wonder what if?' Had he continued and had he been given the backing of the board, I think there would have been a genuinely strong chance of winning the league."

Taken from the Herald