Star Metro - Scotland boss Clarke signs new four-year contract

Clarke's new deal takes him through the 2028 European Championship and the 2030 World Cup, ending months of speculation over his future.

The 62-year-old, whose previous contract was due to expire in July, has enjoyed a largely successful reign, with 35 wins and 14 draws from his 76 matches.

After hinting clubs had made initial approaches to him during the Scotland negotiations, Clarke admitted he was relieved to have a long-term commitment ahead of the World Cup.

"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," he said.

"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.

"We can look to build on those foundations for the long term and it is a privilege to continue in this role."

Clarke, a former West Brom, Reading and Kilmarnock boss, was hired by Scotland in 2019 and made an immediate impact, leading them to the delayed 2021 European Championship.

That was Scotland's first major tournament since the 1998 World Cup, but they bowed out at the group stage without a victory in their three games.

Clarke's team missed out on a place at the 2022 World Cup after losing to Ukraine in the play-offs.

They bounced back to reach Euro 2024 after an impressive qualifying campaign featuring a win over Spain.

Again, Scotland were unable to secure a group stage win at a major tournament in the Clarke era as they were eliminated following defeats by Germany and Hungary.

A dramatic victory over Denmark in their last qualifier took Scotland through to this year's World Cup in North America, giving Clarke another chance to end his country's wait to reach the knockout stages of a tournament for the first time.

"His record speaks for itself: three tournament qualifications out of four, including consecutive Euros finals and, of course, an imminent World Cup return after nearly three decades," said Scottish Football Association chief executive Ian Maxwell.

"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."

Scotland face Haiti in their World Cup Group C opener on June 14 before taking on Morocco and Brazil.

M.Johnson--SMC