Motherwell manager Mark McGhee has promised the club he will not accept the vacant Scotland job without the support of everyone at Fir Park.

McGhee is understood to be on a four-man SFA shortlist to become Scotland manager, alongside Saints boss George Burley, ex-Dell manager Graeme Souness and Celtic assistant Tommy Burns.

The 50-year-old McGhee quickly emerged as the favourite to succeed Alex McLeish when his former Aberdeen team-mate left for Birmingham in late November.

But he has recently been overtaken in the betting by his former Celtic colleague Tommy Burns.

However, should he be asked to take the job McGhee admitted he has learned a lesson from the way he walked out on Leicester to become Wolves manager in 1995.

"If Scotland offered me the job, if they required me to leave now, I could only do it with the absolute consensus of everybody here," he said.

"I need everybody here to say 'this is important and we need you to go and do this'.

"If I felt I am needed longer here, at least to the end of the season, then I will be here.

"I won't be walking out in any way that leaves any resentment."

McGhee has earned widespread praise for the way he has helped a young Motherwell squad cope since captain Phil O'Donnell collapsed with heart failure on December 29.

Vice-captain Stephen Craigan admitted the players were looking to the manager for guidance after the death of the team's most experienced player and McGhee does not want to let them down.

Commenting on the constant speculation linking him with the national team, McGhee said: "It has reached the stage where it is driving me mental. I know as much as you do.

"I went from odds-on favourite to whatever in line now."

The SFA hope to name their new manager before the end of the month.