Scotland Men's Football Team

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Steve Clarke's contribution as Scotland head coach "has been immense", says midfielder John McGinn.

Clarke stepped down at the weekend after the Scots missed out on the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

Aston Villa's McGinn, 31, scored Scotland's only goal at the finals, the winner in the opening group victory over Haiti.

"What the gaffer has given this group, on and off the pitch, has been immense," McGinn said on X.

"Not only by taking us to major tournaments but by how together we have felt as a squad and as a nation. Representing Scotland means everything to us and to him I'll be forever grateful."

Scotland lost 1-0 to Morocco and then succumbed to a 3-0 loss against Brazil. There was still an outside chance they could progress as one the eight best third-placed sides from the group stage but results ultimately eliminated Clarke's side.

"No one wanted to progress more than us players, and as much as the experiences and memories we'll share will last forever, that doesn't take away from how much this still hurts," McGinn said.

"The excitement and togetherness that this tournament brought to everyone in our country means so much to us all.

"I hope the generation of young Scots who experienced this World Cup grow up believing that seeing Scotland on this stage is the new norm."

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Billy Gilmour has praised Steve Clarke as "more than just a manager" following the Scotland head coach's resignation.

The 62-year-old told his players on Saturday night, at their hotel in Charlotte, he was ending his seven-year stint after it was confirmed the Scots had failed to get out of a World Cup group containing Brazil, Morocco and Haiti.

Clarke had only recently signed a new four-year contract, but felt it was the right time to step away.

Napoli midfielder Gilmour was ruled out of the World Cup because of a knee injury suffered during the warm-up win over Curacao, but still travelled out to Boston to help support the squad.

The 25-year-old posted a picture on Instagram of him being embraced by Clarke on the pitch, with the caption: "More than just a manager to me."

Gilmour added: "Thank you for everything you helped me with, growing as a person and a player during our time together with the national team. Best of luck with all that's to come, Gaffer."

Lewis Ferguson also sent his best to Clarke in an emotional post on social media, alongside a photograph of the midfielder hunched on the pitch with his shirt pulled up over his head.

"Disappointed doesn't cut it. We are sorry we let you down and didn't achieve our goal," the Bologna midfielder wrote.

"The support out here and at home makes me so proud to be Scottish and it's never taken for granted so thank you all. I hope we inspired a new generation to dream again about representing Scotland on the biggest stage, we've proved that these dreams can become reality.

"And finally, special mention to the man who led us there, gaffer. Thank you for making my dream to play for my country become real and I wish you all the best in the future."

Veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who did not play in any of the group matches, paid tribute the efforts of the whole Scotland squad and staff.

"This team. The long journeys, the waiting, the breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The travels, the games, the laughs, the songs, the haircuts, the jokes, the support," he wrote on Instagram.

"Getting to experience this with everyone in this photo, and behind it – made this even better. The gaffer, and the staff too. Couldn't have done more for us.

"Just wish we could have done more to progress, for the incredible fans that made it out here, and back home. Thank you."

Bologna and Monaco are interested in Oli McBurnie, but the 30-year-old Scotland-capped forward is keen to stay with Hull City, who are ready to extend his contract beyond its current 2018. (Alan Nixon on Patreon, external)

Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson says he would be open to speaking to the Scottish FA about replacing Steve Clarke as Scotland head coach. (Press & Journal, external)

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Lewis Ferguson told Bologna before heading for the World Cup with Scotland that he wanted to assess his future in July amid interest from Rangers, Lazio and now Atalanta and Roma, with the midfielder's current club valuing the 26-year-old at more than £17m. (Il Resto del Carlino, external)

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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James McFadden
Former Scotland international

Image source, Getty Images

I think the players will be shocked, I think there'll be a lot of emotion because they've come a long way.

There's players that have played all their career under Steve Clarke for Scotland, there's players that he's given a lot of responsibility to, a lot of caps over the years. They've had some unbelievable highs in that time and he's moulded them into a squad of players that believe they should be at major tournaments.

The criticism and the stumbling blocks for them has been that people want more - to be a team that progresses and is not just happy to be there. I don't think that is a group of players that are just happy to be there, they just haven't been able to either perform or get the results.

The manager has raised the bar and rightly so gets the credit because he's been able to sometimes make unpopular decisions because he feels that's best for the team but he's built a squad that largely, as much as he could have, has stayed the same so that there was a continuity in the squad, a continuity in the work and the harmony within the squad I think we can all agree is there.

It's a strong squad, they're together and so they will be devastated, I have no doubt about that because when someone leaves who's popular within the dressing room it is shock and sadness and I think right now their emotion will be of that.

The journey that they've all been on together will be something they'll remember forever and they've all done really well for each other.

The players will need time to process this. I know there's a few of the guys that certainly aren't getting any younger. I think there might have been players coming in thinking this may well be their last major tournament, or their last campaign and I don't know if this changes anything for them.

I don't know but the one thing is they deserve the praise and I'm sure they'll take the criticism as well. They have had criticism sometimes, for me, unfairly because they've given us so many good moments and we just want more but I suppose that's the standard that's been set by the manager and the players.

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Darren Jackson believes the Scottish FA "were confident" the national team would progress from their World Cup group under Steve Clarke, who has stepped down after Scotland missed out on the round of 32.

Clarke sealed Scotland men's first appearance at a World Cup since 1998, having also overseen qualifications to two European Championships.

However, in all three major tournaments, Scotland lost two of their three group games and the recent 1-0 win over Haiti was the only victory at a finals for Clarke's side.

Both Clarke and Jackson were capped by Scotland manager Craig Brown in the 1990s but the pair were never international team-mates.

"Is it a surprise? Probably not for the way they performed and probably the disappointment for Steve," Jackson told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

Clarke, 62, was given a new contract before the World Cup, which would have kept him in the job until 2030.

And Jackson said: "Giving his new contract beforehand, I think that was to give everybody a boost, the country a boost. I don't know if that's backfired. It's really disappointing.

"I think they were confident they were going to go through."

Jackson won 28 Scotland caps, scoring four goals, was part of the squad that went to Euro 96 and started two of the games at the 1998 World Cup in France.

And he believes one injured player was sorely absent for Scotland at this year's event in the United States.

"Billy Gilmour was a huge miss," said Jackson. "Huge miss because Billy does things that other players can't. They definitely missed Billy Gilmour."

On the future, Jackson commented: "There's always going to be a turnover, possibly after tournaments.

"I don't think we should worry to a massive extent because it happens at every level, it happens in every country that there's got to be a new breed come through, it's just how many are ready?

"I'm going to go completely off piste here. I would actually like a combined Gary McAllister-John Collins as manager. What they've done for their country, the experience they've had over Europe. They both been managers.

"They're very friendly. They've got everything to be a good combination and take it on. I would love to see those two. Mentality incredible, confidence, belief in themselves."

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Former Scotland captain Paul Lambert thinks an overhaul of the structure of Scottish football is required in the wake of Steve Clarke's resignation.

Clarke, who led Scotland to three major tournaments, resigned following the confirmation of Scotland's exit from the World Cup.

The 62-year-old penned a new four-year deal just before the start of the tournament in America, Canada and Mexico and even led Scotland to only their fifth World Cup win with a 1-0 victory against Haiti in their tournament opener.

But after a narrow 1-0 loss to Morocco and an error-laden 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brazil, followed by a lengthy wait to find out if they had managed to sneak through to the last 32, they hadn't, Clarke announced he'd be stepping down as Scotland boss.

"A little bit [surprising]," Lambert told BBC Scotland on the news of Clarke's resignation.

"He got us through to three major tournaments but I think what has disappointed everybody, in major tournaments we fell short.

"They [the players] will feel disappointed but I think they'll be disappointed in how they performed in the three games. They will look at themselves in the mirror and think "we never did enough" and I think that's the biggest disappointment.

"I think what Steve Clarke has done for the country is he's given us three brilliant major tournaments and nobody can knock it."

Now Lambert thinks, in the wake of Clarke's departure, a whole refresh of the Scottish footballing structure is needed, particularly at youth level.

"We focus on results which I think is all wrong for kids playing football," he added.

"We should be developing them as people and footballers. That has got to be looked at because we don't produce enough footballers for the national team.

"You can't get away from the fact that qualification for major tournaments is paramount but going deeper than that you've got to look at change to the whole Scottish football structure."

It's been just over seven years since Steve Clarke took charge of his first game as Scotland manager.

Back in June 2019 he led the Scots to a 2-1 win over Cyprus at Hampden.

Last week, Clarke led the side for what turned out to be his last game as Scotland manager - a 3-0 World Cup defeat at the hands of Brazil that ultimately ended their chances of progressing in the tournament.

And Clarke's starting line-up from that game, and his first ever match seven years ago, aren't all that different.

Scott McKenna and, now captain, Andy Robertson started in defence in Clarke's first game as well as his last.

In midfield, John McGinn and Kenny McLean both started the game against Cyprus and the game against Brazil.

Clarke's first XI: David Marshall, Stephen O'Donnell, Charlie Mulgrew, Scott McKenna, Andy Robertson, John McGinn, Kenny McLean, Callum McGregor, James Forrest, Ryan Fraser, Eamonn Brophy.

Clarke's last XI: Angus Gunn, Nathan Patterson, Jack Hendry, Scott McKenna, Andy Robertson, Kenny McLean, Lewis Ferguson, Ben Gannon-Doak, Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Lawrence Shankland.

We asked for your views after Steve Clarke announced he was stepping down as Scotland manager after seven years.

Here's what some of you had to say:

David: Clarke may have got us to three major tournaments but once we got there the football was poor. Clarke was too defensive and loyal to certain players. Most of all I feel sorry for the Tartan Army.

Ryan: Shocked at how sudden it's happened and I hope the section of "supporters" that wanted him gone are happy. I feel I have to stick up for Clarke and the team as people have very short memories on where we were as a footballing nation when he took over to where we are now - actually thinking we should be taking points off the fifth and sixth teams in the world rankings. The group we had was one of the most difficult because of those rankings. I understand the disappointment and frustration against Brazil because we gifted them goals but these things happen. This team has given us so much over the past seven years and Clarke has been the catalyst. He's done the exact same for Scotland as his did for Kilmarnock in reconnecting the fan base and the team.

Alexander: He did okay with the team of players he had but his tactics were stale, one dimensional, dull, boring and the team never looked as though they would score many goals.

Stuart: Best of luck to Steve Clarke. He has taken the team as far as anyone can in my view. Changing the gardener doesn't automatically improve the soil.

Kenny: Scotland needs a reset. Positivity and expectation over caution and history. In the dugout yes, but also in the structures. Croatia, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Czech Republic all outperform us with comparable resources. They have better elite programs for young players, better export rates of players to other nations, better development of technical skills, better coaching structures. The SFA would win a World Cup of governance but none of the above. They do identify targets but power sits with the SPFL and clubs. Resources are limited, power is concentrated and historic underperformance is revered.