2024-08-30 10:31:01
Steve Clarke never considered quitting as Scotland manager after Euro 2024.
The coach came in for heavy criticism after the Tartan Army were knocked out during the group stages having only mustered a single point during the tournament but revealed that he wants to be in charge of the team’s attempt to reach the 2026 World Cup.
Asked if contemplated walking away following the Euros, Clarke said: “No.
“I’ve always said I’d love to go to a World Cup with my country. I’ve got a group of players that are determined to go to a World Cup with their country, and for some of them it will be their last chance, it will certainly be my last chance, so there’s your motivation there.”
Clarke is hopeful that the team can bounce back from their disappointing Euros after they recovered strongly from the blow of losing in the play-offs for the 2022 World Cup.
He said: “We didn’t achieve what we wanted to achieve in the tournament. I think the biggest thing is you have to learn in football to move on.
“The last time we had a disappointment on this level would be when we failed to get to the World Cup. We went away, we reset, we came back and we managed to qualify for the Nations League A section.
“We responded well. The last qualifying campaign for Euro 24 was probably one of our best. That’s what we have to do again.”
Clarke also considers the raised expectations of Scotland supporters as a sign that he has done well in his job.
He said: “You take it two ways, but for me I take it as a compliment because it means that myself, my staff and the players have done a really good job to raise the expectation.
“When I took the job it was over 20 years since we’ve been at a tournament. We’ve now been at two out of the last three, so we must have done something right.”
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