Graeme Souness has held talks with the Scottish Football Association and insists he wants to become the next Scotland manager.
Reports this weekend suggested the former Scotland captain was distancing himself from the vacancy.
But he told the Scottish Mail on Sunday: "I have been interviewed by the SFA. The interview was conducted in a very professional manner and I want the job."
Mark McGhee and Tommy Burns are also believed to have held talks with the SFA, while George Burley is the other name on the four-man shortlist.
Meanwhile, Billy Davies has revealed why he withdrew from the race to succeed Alex McLeish as national team coach.
He told the S cottish News of the World: "Scotland appointed an under-21 manager before the national job was filled suggesting to me that the new manager wouldn't have any input at lower levels.
"That's not how I see the job so I respectfully withdrew my name from consideration."
Davies spoke to Republic of Ireland representatives on Thursday and added: "People might say 'He's not willing to speak to the SFA but he speaks to Ireland'.
"However, the Irish don't know anything about me so I can understand them wanting to speak to me face to face. Gordon Smith [SFA chief executive] and everybody else in Scotland knows me."