STEVE CLARKE praised Scotland captain Andy Robertson after he played a pivotal role in lifting his teammates for the win over Armenia at Hampden last night.
The Scottish players were crestfallen after their hopes of reaching the World Cup were ended a week ago as they fell to a devastating defeat to Ukraine at the national stadium, but they bounced back to get their UEFA Nations League campaign off to a winning start with a comfortable 2-0 triumph over a poor Armenian side.
After the game, Clarke singled out Robertson and his other senior players for praise for the way they hauled the squad off the floor, and said that the Liverpool star’s contribution is often overlooked.
“I’ve got the mention the captain,” Clarke said. “He was outstanding. He was outstanding in the dressing room before the game.
“Just in general, being a captain and leader is something Andy has grown into. It’s something which doesn’t get mentioned as it should do. Captains are important at this time in the dressing room. People you are looking to step up.
“Himself, John McGinn and Callum McGregor are leaders, taking us onto the pitch in a good frame of mind.
“It was three good performances from them but I thought the captain was exceptional.”
Clarke also praised Anthony Ralston for his contribution to the win, after the Celtic full-back scored on his first start for his country.
“It’s great to score a goal on your debut for Scotland eh?” he said.
“I thought he was good in the game but I had no real doubts about Tony because he plays for Celtic and they come against opposition who sit in and defend.
“So I knew he would find the right positions on the pitch.”
Clarke is now hoping that the win over Armenia has got the pain of the defeat to Ukraine out of his players’ systems.
“Professional athletes have to move on,” he said. “You can’t think about the last one, you have to think about the next one.
“The next one for us was the Nations League campaign and we’ve got off to a good start.”
