Scotland Men's Football Team

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Former full-back Maurice Ross admits he was "terrified" of manager Dick Advocaat at Rangers.

Ross was handed his Rangers debut at age 19 by Advocaat in February 2000 and featured a further 12 times under the Dutchman before his move to a director of football role in December 2001.

Advocaat, 78, is now Curacao boss and set to be come the oldest coach in World Cup history at this summer's tournament.

Scotland face Advocaat's Curacao at Hampden on Saturday in a pre-World Cup friendly (13:00 BST) and Ross is urging Steve Clarke's side to be "careful".

"I'm looking at him now as a 45-year old man but when I was 20 and Advocaat came into the building, he was terrifying," Ross told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"For someone that isn't so tall, what a presence he has. He is an absolute winner.

"Curacao will not be going into this thinking they are going on a holiday. The standout line for me from his press conferences is 'make it as difficult as possible'.

"There will be a solid defensive structure, more so than when he was at Rangers. They will sit in and hit on the counter hoping to score from set-plays.

"He doesn't get beaten often at Hampden, my old gaffer, so we need to be careful.

"I would see him with Arthur Numan [former Rangers defender] and he'd be lovely and kind and gentle but with me, he didn't give me any time. I hadn't earned that level of relationship.

"Off the back of a result, nobody goes near him but the majority of elite leaders are like that.

"I have seen him once since he left and he couldn't have been nicer. A gentleman, a proper football man and somebody I'll be incredibly grateful to."

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Why did Scotland boss Steve Clarke sign such a lengthy new contract?

The Times Scottish football correspondent Michael Grant, who broke the story, external 10 days ago that Clarke was close to extending his stay, says a four-year deal is "standard practice" for international managers.

Clarke's tenure will cover the next two World Cups and Euro 2028, and Grant suggested international management is the right fit for the 62-year-old.

"If there were offers would he, at 62, have the sheer appetite to go into, for example, the Championship in England, which is just a slog of games?" Grant told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"I think the pace of international management suits Steve. No-brainer was actually the phrase that chief executive Ian Maxwell used.

"Some fans are saying, well, why now? Why on the eve of the tournament? And also why four years? They [the SFA] say they've not really had time to get all the parties together until now to thrash out a contract.

"In terms of it being four years, Maxwell says that's quite standard practice in international football. He quoted Carlo Ancelotti at Brazil, Jesse Marsch at Canada, Michael O'Neill at Northern Ireland, who have all recently had four-year extensions.

"What they've done is removed any real issue or debate about the manager because it's going to be Clarke going forward.

"If the World Cup goes great, and we get through to the knockout rounds for the first time, or if it goes badly, there's going to be a storm of criticism but they're going to ride it out and Clarke will be the manager at the next Euros at least."

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Dunfermline Athletic forward Andrew Tod is the latest young prospect to be drafted in to Scotland's World Cup training sessions.

Heart of Midlothian forward James Wilson and goalkeeping team-mate Liam McFarlane, Dundee centre-half Luke Graham and Manchester United midfielder Tyler Fletcher had already supplemented Steve Clarke's 26-man squad as they prepare for the finals in the Americas.

Now the national head coach has added Tod to the group at Lesser Hampden after the 20-year-old played in Saturday's Scottish Cup final defeat by Celtic.

Tod, who has played twice for Scotland Under-21s, scored 16 times in 45 appearances this season for Neil Lennon's side as they finished fourth in the Scottish Championship and also lost in the Premiership Play-off semi-final to Partick Thistle.

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Scotland defender Grant Hanley admits there were times in his career where he thought competing at the World Cup was out of reach.

The 34-year-old, currently at Scottish Premiership side Hibs, has struggled with injuries throughout his career.

Having missed a month with a hamstring issue in February, the centre-back was forced off against Motherwell in Hibs' final game of the season but is fit and ready for the World Cup.

When asked if there were times he felt reaching a World Cup might not happen from him, Hanley admitted: "Definitely.

"I think that's part and parcel of life and certainly part of a career in football.

"There's loads of highs and probably more lows. There's been some tough and testing periods along the way, but having opportunities like this, that's what really makes it worth it."

Scotland will mark their departure for the United States with a final game at Hampden when they face Curacao in Saturday's friendly.

And while the excitement about reaching a first World Cup in nearly 30 years has been bubbling away, Hanley insists the focus is on doing more.

"I don't think it's a secret that we would like to have performed better and progress further in the last couple of tournaments we've been to," he added.

"Qualifying for them is one thing, but you want to give a good account of yourself and you want to be as successful as we can.

"This one's no different, so full focus on that."

Speaking before head coach Steve Clarke's new contract was announced, Hanley shared his admiration of the Scotland boss.

"I don't think he'd appreciate me commenting on it, but he's certainly been unbelievable for me," the defender said.

"The faith and the trust he's shown in me, for bringing me in and playing me consistently and even times when I was really struggling with injuries and things like that. I think back to the last few Euros, I hadn't really played any.

"He's shown a lot of trust in me, so certainly I will always be grateful for everything the manager's done for me."

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

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Finally, the contractual dance is over and we know Steve Clarke is staying, not for two more years until the next Euros but for a whopping four until the next World Cup.

The Scottish FA are lumping all their chips on Scotland having a good World Cup. If they do, then four more years of Clarke will feel like the most sensible decision.

If they fail, then we're going to return to the post-Euros rancour of 2024 when many supporters wanted a change. The Scottish FA will come under heavy fire for committing to another four years of Clarke if things go pear-shaped in America.

Some would argue the wise move would have been to hold off until after the World Cup but, clearly, the Scottish FA felt they couldn't do that.

Having slowly altered his view from not likely to stay, to wanting to stay, Clarke would have been pushing them for a decision pre-tournament.

Importantly, his players have made it known how much they enjoy working with him. Why ignore the views of the Scott McTominays and the John McGinns in the hope of landing somebody better than Clarke? That would have been an almost reckless gamble.

There's not exactly a surfeit of available and convincing candidates and Clarke is a proven operator who has become a serial qualifier for major tournaments.

In the end, the decision was probably a relatively straightforward one.

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Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell on Steve Clarke's new contract to 2030: "On behalf of the board I am delighted that we have agreed with Steve to continue as men's head coach.

"His record speaks for itself: three finals tournament qualifications out of four, including consecutive Euros finals and, of course, an imminent World Cup return after nearly three decades.

"Beyond that, he has built a squad that the nation has taken to its heart, making Barclays Hampden a fortress once again.

"During our discussions about the future we were all agreed that we cannot rest on our achievements or ever take qualification for granted.

"The passion and enthusiasm with which he discussed that road map emphasises that this will not simply be a continuation but a renewed purpose and focus over the next four years."

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"Proud" Steve Clarke says it is a "privilege" to continue as Scotland boss until 2030.

Clarke has led Scotland to successive European Championships and this summer's World Cup, the first for the men's national team since 1998.

The 62-year-old, who took charge in 2019, said: "I am truly honoured to lead my squad into our first men's World Cup in 28 years and I'm proud to continue as head coach.

"I know the Scotland supporters appreciate the achievements of this group in qualifying for back-to-back Euros and equally sure the whole nation rejoiced in our qualification for World Cup 2026 after such a long time.

"It's very important to look ahead and plan for the future and, while my squad will be doing everything in their power to compete and make the country proud in the America this summer, it also gives us certainty ahead of the tournament knowing that we can look to build on those foundations for the long-term and it is a privilege to continue in this role.

"Stability is the key to success in football and this has certainly been the case during my last seven years as head coach.

"It's important we evolve and make improvements and I look forward to working with the new chief football officer, Craig Mulholland, to increase the pipeline of talent to the senior squad through the national youth teams.

"For now, it's all about preparing for the World Cup, starting against Curacao this weekend."

Steve Clarke has penned a new deal as Scotland head coach until 2030.

The 62-year-old was due to be out of contract after this summer's World Cup but will continue for a further four years.

Clarke will lead Scotland through the Euro 2028 campaign - which is co-hosted by the UK and Republic of Ireland - and well as qualifiers for the World Cup in 2030.

Scotland fans, what do you make of the news? Are you happy to see Clarke continue for another four years? Would you have preferred a change at the top?

Have your say on Clarke's new deal

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Former Rangers academy director Craig Mulholland has been named the Scottish FA's new chief football officer.

The 57-year-old moves back to the governing body having served as English Premier League club Nottingham Forest's head of football development and talent management.

This will be his second spell with the SFA after starting out as a football development officer before progression to senior youth development officer more than 20 years ago.

He then joined Scottish Premiership outfit Rangers, were he spent nine years as academy director.

"I am delighted to be joining the Scottish FA at a critical time for the game in our country, which I care passionately about," Mulholland said.

"We have the World Cup to look forward to and that excitement brings the ideal opportunity to implement positive change throughout all areas of our game, building on the many strengths we have as a nation.

"I have loved my time working in the Premier League, where every day you are exposed to the world's best players and coaches.

"But, when I heard the desire and willingness from Mike [Mulraney], as president, and Ian [Maxwell], as CEO, to really implement an exciting period of growth and change here in Scotland, it was something I was excited about, delighted to accept and privileged to be asked to lead."

Chief executive Maxwell added: "We're delighted to have Craig on board. He was the outstanding candidate from a thorough process.

"This is a critical role within the Scottish FA – and Scottish football in general – so we wanted to make sure that we took our time to find the right individual who can help drive improvements across the board."

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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There is "a very high possibility" Lawrence Shankland will be handed the captain's armband should he complete his move to Rangers from Hearts, according to former Ibrox centre-half Colin Hendry.

The 30-year-old Scotland striker is expected to make the switch despite agreeing a new contract last summer at Tynecastle, where he has worn the skippers' armband.

Speaking at Hampden Park as he helped launch next month's Refugee World Cup, Hendry said: "He's more than equipped to lead and and that would be a statement right away.

"I would think there'd be a very high possibility of him becoming the captain. I think if you were to talk about how well he did at Hearts in that role then I think a lot of people would say that he's been successful and able to cope with that and everything that's thrown at you in relation to that position and that situation."

As much as Hendry is confident Shankland will thrive it Ibrox, he nonetheless says "it's a shock" to see the move so close to completion so quickly after the end of the domestic season.

"First of all, he'd re-signed for Hearts last season," the former Scotland defender added. "I've spoken to a couple of people there that know more about it and there was a clause that he could leave.

"It would be Danny Rohl's first signing of the summer window and I think it would be great for Rangers. He would be a great asset to Rangers if they get the signature.

"To get him signed prior to going to the World Cup would be good as well because everybody's at ease and then you know it's finished - you know it's all tied up. It's a big, big coup for Rangers. "

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Listen as The Herald journalist Stephen McGowan and Arbroath midfielder Ryan Flynn discuss Oli McBurnie's absence from Scotland's World Cup squad with Scottish Football Podcast host Ray Bradshaw.

McGowan suggests that, although McBurnie has had a good season helping Hull City win promotion to the Premier League, the striker just has to "suck it up" as he is "no Kenny Dalglish".

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Lennon Miller is "disappointed" but philosophical about missing out on Scotland's World Cup squad and is eyeing more game time with Udinese next season to improve his future cap chances.

The 19-year-old midfielder, who has four senior appearances, made his 11th start since last summer's transfer from Motherwell as his side lost 1-0 away to Napoli on Sunday to finish 10th in the Serie A table.

Asked by BBC Alba about missing this summer's World Cup, Miller said: "It was obviously disappointing not to get in the squad, but the manager's got such a tough job to pick 26 people and I know that the midfield has so many good players and it's probably the hardest place to get into.

"So it was disappointing, but I'll be rooting for the boys in the summer and hopefully we can do really well."

Most of Miller's 26 Udinese appearances have come as a substitute, so he was pleased to finish the season with a starting place.

"I knew it was going to be difficult coming to such a good league," he admitted.

"I was never going to come in and play every single minute like I did at Motherwell, but I've become such a better player and a better person.

"I'll look to next season and hopefully play more than I have this year and do well."

Scott McTominay again started for Napoli while fellow Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour came on as a substitute shortly before half-time as the defending champions' win made sure they finished runners-up, three points ahead of Roma.

However, despite Rasmus Hojlund's early goal, and centre-back Christian Kabasele's red card after 64 minutes, they were made to work hard for the win by visitors for whom Miller played all but four minutes of stoppage time.

Napoli finish 11 points behind Internazionale, who ended their campaign with a 3-3 draw on Saturday away to a Bologna side for whom Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson played the whole game.

Bologna finish eighth, one place outside the European qualification places.

Meanwhile, Scotland striker Che Adams came off the bench shortly after half time to secure a point for 12th-placed Torino with six minutes remaining of their 2-2 draw at home to sixth-top Juventus.

Left-back Josh Doig was an unused substitute as Sassuolo lost 1-0 away to Parma to finish 11th.

Hull City striker Oli McBurnie insists there are "no hard feelings" between himself and Scotland head coach Steve Clarke after he was left out of their World Cup squad. (The National), external

Former Rangers head coach Russell Martin has travelled to both Italy and Spain to speak to clubs over managerial roles, but the former Scotland defender is also wanted by Leicester City after their relegation to League One. (Alan Nixon on Patreon), external

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