PEDRO Caixinha, the Portuguese coach who is set to be confirmed as the new manager of Rangers this week, has an “aggressive” style and demands the “very best” from his players according to SFA director of football development Jim Fleeting.

Fleeting worked with the 46-year-old when Caixinha when was gaining his coaching qualifications in Scotland and remembers him as an “extremely competent coach” who attained his Uefa A and B licences with ease.

The appointment of the former Uniao Leiria, Nacional and Santos Laguna manager, who is currently in charge of Al-Gharafa in Qatar, ahead of the likes of Alex McLeish, Alex Neil and Gary Rowett has taken Scottish football by surprise.

However, Fleeting believes the experienced former Sporting Lisbon, Panathinaikos and Rapid Bucharest assistant, who followed the same route Jose Mourinho took into coaching after being personally urged to come here by his compatriot, will bring many qualities to the Ibrox role.

Fleeting revealed the SFA staff and other aspiring coaches picked up advice on formations, man management and tactics from the former goalkeeper when he was at Inverclyde doing his training.

“Pedro completed his A Licence and B Licence in Scotland, but didn’t complete his Pro-Licence because he was offered a job during it,” Fleeting said. “He has done very well since, which we obviously like to see.

“We have always had a sizeable Portuguese contingent on our coaching courses since Jose Mourinho, who was sent over here by Bobby Robson through his link with Andy Roxburgh. He was kind enough to say some nice things about us. Last year we had three or four Portuguese coaches, including Costinha and Maniche.

“You always know you are going to see a few of them. We are fortunate because these boys bring something a bit different to the courses.

We don’t like them to be the same.

I sometimes think we are picking up as much from them as they are from us. It is always good to learn from other nationalities.

“Alan Stubbs remarked the other day that he learned a great deal just from just sitting at the same table for an hour with Pedro and the other Portuguese coaches on the course and listening to them talking about the game. They have a certain way and style that we don’t have.

“They are aggressive in their coaching. It’s not done in a nasty sense. They aren’t offending anybody. They just want to get it right. Pedro is certainly like that. That is something we could learn from. Maybe at times we can be a bit laid back in this country.

“The Portuguese are also quite cool and he was very calm and collected. But when they get to the pitch there is this switch which goes off. They are determined that when their team goes out there they are going to deliver, they going to be the best. They are determined to get the very best out of their players. They are very focused on making sure what they are asking is carried out effectively. They know their team is going to get the message.”

Fleeting has no concerns about the ability of Caixinha, who will be unveiled as Mark Warburton’s permanent successor once Rangers have agreed compensation with Al-Gharafa, to handle his pressure and expectations new role. He said: “Pedro is a bold appointment and I am sure they will not be disappointed.”

Meanwhile, Fleeting believes Graeme Murty will have benefited hugely from his brief stint in charge of Rangers. After a tough start, Murty oversaw a 3-2 win over St Johnstone in the Ladbrokes Premiership last midweek and orchestrated a 6-0 victory over Hamilton Accies in the William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-final on Saturday. Fleeting said. “Graeme is currently doing his Pro-Licence. To have something like managing Rangers on your CV will be invaluable to him if he decides to move into management.”