GLASGOW (Reuters) - Scotland presented George Burley as their new manager on Thursday and he immediately set himself the target of helping the team qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.

Burley, who won 11 caps for Scotland and was a member of the 1982 World Cup squad in Spain, agreed a deal until 2012 after quitting Championship (second division) side Southampton.

"I have played for my country as a player from the age of 15 all the way through to ... the World Cup," Burley, 51, told a news conference.

"Now as manager, well, it's a great honour. I am at the stage of my career, I've been a manager for almost 16 years, and I feel I'm ready for it.

"Hopefully we can push all the way to the World Cup finals. I am saying to everybody, to the managers, to the players and fans, 'Let's go for it!'

"If I can get Scotland to qualify for the World Cup, that would be my achievement and then take it from there."

Scotland last qualified for a major tournament in 1998 when they went to the World Cup finals in France.

Burley succeeds Alex McLeish, who resigned last November to take over at Birmingham City. The new manager admitted he had been surprised to get the job.

"I never thought it would happen. There were so many candidates I was surprised to get the job," Burley said.

He said he had an assistant manager in mind, without giving further details, and that theirs would be a part-time job.

"Hopefully we can get that finalised at the beginning of next week. I am certainly looking for motivated people whom I know well and I have one or two in mind."

(Editing by Sonia Oxley)