The Dundee United gaffer has been installed as bookies’ favourite to succeed George Burley, whose hapless 22-month reign was brought to an end when he was sacked at Hampden last night.

And it’s understood Levein’s name, along with that of Rangers boss Walter Smith, is top of the SFA’s own list of possible successors.

The Tangerines, though, will fight tooth-and-nail to keep the man they consider as the best manager in the country, but won’t be surprised if they get an approach from the SFA.

While, however, they are resigned to losing the 45-year-old one day, they believe this is one battle they will win.

For a start, the manager’s long-term contract means United could be due £500,000 by way of compensation — a figure that frightened off at least one other top-flight club last summer.

And, while in relative terms the SFA got Burley on the cheap — he was on a reported £300,000 a year — any move for Levein would require a major salary hike.

Countries of a comparable stature to the Scots are paying managers between £750,000 and a million per year, and the likes of the Irish Republic are handing Italian legend Giovanni Trapattoni £1.5 million.

Levein would also want his long-time No. 2, Peter Houston, beside him and that would push any wage bill for the new team towards seven figures.

Add to all that the pay-offs to Burley, his assistant Terry Butcher and luckless coach Paul Hegarty, whose involvement lasted little over a month and two games, and the ruling body would not have much change out of £2 million.

United’s confidence in being able to hang on to their man this time is largely based on the belief he has unfinished business at Tannadice, and that’s certainly his chairman’s view.

“I am not surprised Craig has been linked, again, because he is an excellent manager and nobody knows that better than we do,” said Tannadice chairman Stephen Thompson.

“However, while I want Scotland to do well, I have to look after my club, it’s fans and the shareholders first, and that means we would do all we could to keep Craig.

“And, from his point of view, I believe he enjoys the day-to-day involvement too much and bringing on players like Morgaro Gomis and Scott Robertson.

“It’s only my personal view, but I think the Scotland job is one for a man in his 50s, who’s done all that — Craig still has a lot he wants to do at club level.”

Having been linked with the job so many times in the past two or three years, despite a deluge of calls from the media, the man himself was making absolutely no comment today.

He took a reserve side to face Rangers this afternoon and was concentrating on that and Sunday’s game against Celtic.