Steve Clarke has declared himself the right man to guide Scotland’s emerging generation of talent to the 2030 World Cup in his new role.
The national team manager signed a four-year extension to his SFA contract on Thursday, having spent seven years in charge of the national side.
Clarke has already overseen qualification for three major tournaments, including this summer’s World Cup in America, and says his appetite for success remains strong.
The Scotland boss believes there is sufficient young talent progressing through the ranks to help the nation reach Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.
Clarke has named the likes of Ben Gannon-Doak and Findlay Curtis in his current squad, while also inviting Luke Graham, James Wilson, Tyler Fletcher, and Andrew Tod to train with the group ahead of Saturday’s friendly with Curacao at Hampden.
He has also backed experienced members of his squad to still be contributing in four years, pointing to the age profile of his senior core as a key factor in his thinking.
Clarke said: “I had a look at what’s coming next in terms of longevity of the squad and new players that are starting to bubble under that maybe can be part of it in the future.”
He added: “The target for the next four years is two more qualifications and hopefully leave a squad in a really good place.”
Clarke reminded critics of how far Scotland have come, saying: “People forget when I took the job seven years ago we hadn’t qualified in 20 years.”
He outlined his legacy ambition clearly, stating: “We should be qualifying regularly for tournaments” once he eventually steps aside from the role.
Clarke noted that his senior core are currently aged around 30 or 31, making them available for Euro 2028 and potentially even the 2030 World Cup given advances in sports science.
He spoke enthusiastically about the training week’s newcomers, saying: “Luke, Tyler and James joined us for the full week this week — all three acquitted themselves really well.”
Clarke also highlighted the arrival of Andrew Tod, explaining: “On Thursday we phoned young Andrew and invited him in — he came in and trained fantastic.”
He confirmed that Liam MacFarlane will travel to America as a training goalkeeper, identifying five new talents without, in his words, “thinking too much or digging too deep.”
Clarke faces the Curacao friendly without Scott McTominay, Lewis Ferguson, Kieran Tierney, Che Adams, and John McGinn, who only joined the squad on Friday night and will not feature at Hampden.
He confirmed that Ben Gannon-Doak and Aaron Hickey, both returning from serious injuries, will each be limited to 45 minutes on Saturday as part of a managed return.
Clarke said: “Hopefully when we go to the Bolivia game in New York next week, they’ll get an hour” as he carefully builds both players back to full fitness.
He acknowledged the unusual nature of the week’s preparations, saying the squad started with just 14 players on Tuesday before others gradually joined throughout the week.
Clarke made clear the priority heading into the Curacao match, stating: “No injuries, a good performance and a win will be fantastic” before Scotland depart for America.
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