John Collins believes the Scottish Football Association should not rule out a foreigner as the next Scotland manager.
The disastrous Berti Vogts era means many observers believe the SFA should limit the search for George Burley's successor to a Scotsman.
But Collins said: "You look for the best manager for the job."
With the likes of Fabio Capello and Giovanni Trapattoni earning plaudits with England and the Republic of Ireland, respectively, Collins insists nationality should be irrelevant.
But the former Hibernian manager - who has already expressed his own interest in the Scotland job - admits an ability to communicate effectively with the players is crucial if Hampden office-bearers do decide to cast their net wider.
"I don't think nationality should have too much to do with it. The important thing is that you've got to speak the language.
"Football management is about communication - dealing with the media, dealing with your players. So it's got to be someone who can master the language.
"If you've got a foreign manager who can speak perfectly good English, by all means, he could be the right man for the job.
"But if you've got a great manager working in Italy or Spain who can't speak English then it's a tough job."
