Steve Clarke insists it means the World to sign a new deal as he aims for a monumental double-qualification triumph.
The Scotland boss heads into today’s opening Euro 2024 qualifier having signed a two-year contract extension. Clarke is aiming first for next summer’s showpiece Germany and says the desire to also complete unfinished business and take his country back to a World Cup Finals in 2026 helped drive his decision.
The feel-good factor is around the national team and the boss is determined things won’t turn ugly as he keeps pushing for more progression and appearances in the next two showpiece tournaments. Clarke said: “Obviously a big disappointment for me as a player was that I never got to a major tournament with Scotland. As the head coach, we managed to get to Euro 2020, which was great for everybody.
“We all felt good about ourselves and we were determined that we would go to the World Cup after that. That was our next target.
“We had a really good qualifying campaign and we put ourselves into a position when we were in a knockout stage and, unfortunately, we didn’t perform and we went out of the competition.
“I said to the boys after that one that I would still like to go with my country to a World Cup Finals and the next one I can do is 2026.
“At that stage, my contract didn’t take me to there, but what I did to say to them after we lost to Ukraine is that I want to go to the World Cup in 2026 and I can’t go without your help.
“And your help means we should qualify for Euro 2024.
“What my bosses have done is said we can see the improvement, we can see the work, here’s the contract beyond that World Cup because they know that is what I want to do.
“But I’m not so daft. Football can be short term as well. If you don’t get the results at the right time, things can turn ugly.
“So my job now is to make sure that things don’t turn ugly, we continue the progression and we do qualify for Germany 2024. That’s my next focus.
“It is always nice when your bosses think you are doing a good job and want you to stay a bit longer. But I always give the credit to the players and my staff.
“Their performances over the past four years is that I get a new contract. They have done a lot of work to help me to get that.”
Clarke is committed to the cause. Asked if there had been interest from clubs during his Scotland tenure, he said: “Maybe.”
And he confessed that being asked to sign a second contract extension having penned a first in August 2021 may not have seemed likely to him in the early stages of his reign.
Clarke said: “Although I am in my 60th year, look at Roy [Hodgson], still working at 75. There is longevity in the job now if you can hang around long enough.
“If you had asked me nine months, a year into the job if I would be signing my second extension and committing to 2026 I would have said: No.
“But I got into the job and understood the job better, what you have to do and how you have to work to be successful.
“Again, it goes back to the group of players I have got. I enjoy working with the players. I feel we have a good relationship. The results have improved and the momentum, in my opinion, is still in a forward direction.
“As long as that continues, then why not try to work together for a little bit longer?”
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