Steve Clarke hopes Scotland’s long-awaited qualification for a men’s World Cup will inspire the country’s young footballers.
Against a backdrop of euphoric scenes at Hampden Park on Tuesday night, the Scots defeated Denmark 4-2 to seal a World Cup spot for the first time since 1998. Their manager was delighted to end that long wait, especially as he believes it has harmed the nation’s football development. “This should stimulate or motivate young players to go out and become Scotland internationals in the future,” said Clarke. “Hopefully there is a legacy from this group of players to the younger generations and we don’t wait so long to go to the next tournament and the next tournament.
“By the way, it is more difficult to qualify for the World Cup than it used to be. If you look at the stats, it is really difficult to qualify. It is incredible, even [versus] when the boys went to France ’98. There were 15 European teams in a 32-team tournament. That is almost 50%. But this one is 16 out of 48, almost a third. You see the World Cup getting bigger and you think: ‘It must be easier to get there.’ But it is not, it is more difficult to get there.”
Despite a lengthy career at Chelsea, Clarke was overlooked for the World Cups of 1990 and 1998. He used that lingering disappointment not only as personal motivation but also to inspire his players in the team hotel before the game against Denmark. “The manager’s speech was unbelievable,” said Andy Robertson, the captain. “He went into a little bit about his life and the lads were quite emotional. To do it for him, all the staff, all our families, it will go down as one of the greatest nights of our lives.”
“It was always in my mind that I would love to go to a World Cup,” Clarke said. “I got close in 1990; I was in the squad that went to Italy for a pre-camp in February and I didn’t make the final selection. From there, there was a motivation to get there.
“When we messed up against Ukraine [in the playoff for the last World Cup] I was disappointed. I thought: ‘That was my chance, that was my chance.’ But I believe in this group of players so I hung around. Eventually I got there. It is a lifelong ambition to go to a World Cup with my country and because of this group of players and me coaching staff I have managed to do it.”
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Clarke has refused to contemplate what qualification may mean in respect of his own future. His contract expires at the end of Scotland’s World Cup involvement, with the widespread expectation being that he will depart at that point. The man himself is “75-25” of that mind. “My bosses may want to sit and have a chat,” Clarke said. “I don’t know. I don’t think about me. I haven’t given it any thought.”
