Scotland National Team

As Shaun Evans called time on Scotland’s abject defeat to Japan yesterday evening, sections of Hampden Park descended into a chorus of boos, a stark contrast from November’s euphoric triumph over the Danes. Junya Ito provided the crucial blow, latching onto a loose ball in the Scotland penalty area, to consign the hosts to a 1-0 loss. With just three friendlies remaining before judgment day in Boston, the defeat stalled the momentum of Steve Clarke’s heroes. Speaking at full-time, a typically stoic Clarke remained upbeat about his side’s performance. “There’s a lot to take,” he said. “Obviously, there are one or two things we can do better. “To lose it on the goal [we conceded] is disappointing. The game at that stage looked like it was going to peter out to a 0-0 draw. “We made a mistake, probably tried to go forward too early, got caught, and they managed to score off it. “I thought we defended well in the game against a very good side. They pop the ball around really well, and we knew they would cause us problems. I thought it would be a low-scoring game, and it was. “Tommy did really well coming off the left side and didn’t do himself any harm tonight. I liked my midfield; my midfield was strong. “We played a lot of good stuff, and I think we can be a bit more progressive to get to the top end of the pitch, but against top opposition sometimes that’s difficult.” Kenny McLean sealed Scotland’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years, and saw the exercise against Japan as crucial experience ahead of the tournament. “A disappointing result. It’s good to get these challenges, we’re trying to prepare as well as we can for a big summer ahead.” “We’ll try to get better and that’s what we’ll try to do again on Tuesday. The shape was decent enough at times. “The second half was a bit better out of possession, but I think we could have been a bit more threatening at the top end of the pitch. “Japan are a really good team, they press you really well, but that’s what we’re going to come up against in the summer. “There’s an expectation now, and we want those expectations on us. We want to reach a new level.” Scotland travel to Merseyside on Tuesday to face the Ivory Coast at Everton’s gleaming new stadium. Though just a friendly, it feels necessary that Clarke’s reteam re-establish the momentum that pushed them to the Promised Land of the World Cup.

Kenny McLean etched his name into Scottish footballing folklore with a 98th-minute halfway line hit, ending the Tartan Army’s 28-year exile from the World Cup stage. Reflecting on that night at Mount Florida via the National Team’s social media, the midfielder described the experience as nothing short of ‘incredible.’ “Walking out here, I still try to picture the scenes that went on that night, and it’s something that will live forever for everybody. It was in this place, and now we’ve got something to look forward to” The Norwich City midfielder got the early call from the bench after Ben Gannon-Doak’s exit in the 21st minute. “I saw Doaky go down, I was looking around and telling lads to get warmed up who I thought would have come on on the wing, and at the time I didn’t consider Ryan [Christie] going there and me going inside. “I got the call, and didn’t have too much time to think about it.” The familiar sting of ‘glorious failure’ returned in the 81st minute. Patrick Dorgu’s clinical finish left Craig Gordon motionless, and the Tartan Army devastated, seemingly condemning Scotland to the playoffs “Maybe for a second it did cross our mind that we were going to come up short again, but we found it from somewhere. “This squad is something that I’ve never been involved in. I’m sure all the lads say the same thing about it, incredible.” McLean had the perfect view to watch Kieran Tierney restore the lead in the 93rd minute. “I’m right behind Kieran when he is taking the shot, it starts a yard outside the post, and as soon as I saw it turning in, I knew where it was landing.” With the final kick of the game, McLean hammered home his place in history, punching Scotland’s ticket to America in breathtaking fashion. “I was thinking (about going to) the corner initially, I think I had Che [Adams] on one side, Fergie [Lewis Ferguson] on the other, and I found myself in this very spot. “There was just a noise that seemed to come around the stadium, initial shouts of shoot were probably ignored, and then I took a touch out of my feet, but I wasn’t set to hit it. “The louder the shouts got, I thought the game’s probably done, if it goes into the keeper’s hand I’ll probably get some abuse, but when I saw the keeper going back the way, and I saw it dropping and hit the net, it was special!” Bedlam followed in all corners of the National Stadium, a special goal to cap off a special night. Brazil, Morocco, and Haiti await in Boston and Miami, and the Tartan Army will hope the side can deliver similar heroics on the world stage.

Scotland’s Tommy Conway knew a call-up to Steve Clarke’s March squad would be his “real chance” of achieving a World Cup berth, as the Middlesbrough forward hopes to mirror his domestic form in the National side. His eight league goals have pushed Boro into the automatic promotion spots with just seven games to play in the English Championship. Speaking in camp, Conway revealed that honing his daily habits was the key to breaking into the Scotland squad. “I set myself targets and goals, and I really did commit to the process ever since November, using it as fuel to make sure I got into this one. “I’ve done that, and almost that’s like the first box ticked. The next box to tick is to get to the World Cup, and I’m doing everything I can to get there. Having missed out on Scotland’s rollercoaster World Cup qualification campaign, Conway hopes to bring a “winning mentality” to the National side, backing up his positive form in the English second tier. “I missed out on three camps, and I’d be lying if you don’t start to think, ‘Am I for Scotland anymore? What am I going to have to do to get back into the squad?’ “You have to feel like, ‘I’ve been there before, so why can’t I be there again? “I work every day to achieve targets that I set myself, and playing for Scotland is the pinnacle for me.” “We’re doing well, and I want to bring that winning mentality to Scotland and try and make my mark when I’m away at the international stage,” he added. “I think playing with pressure every week is only going to benefit you and the experience you get from that. “You can then take that into playing for Scotland as well and, when you go to the World Cup, if I make it there, it’s going to be pressure.” Scotland v Japan Barclays Hampden Saturday 28th March 5pm KO

Oliver Burke insists that enjoying his football for Union Berlin is the top priority, as the World Cup looms for Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad. In an interview with BBC Scotland, the 28-year-old striker advised he hasn’t put “too much thought” into a National call-up. “I’m not really expecting anything. I’m just enjoying myself and enjoying football again, which is the most important thing for me. “If I can, hopefully, do some good performances, score some more goals and hopefully that is catching the eye a little bit and gives me a chance, at least. “Obviously, it’s an absolute honour to wear the badge and represent your country. It’s such a privilege. Obviously, I would really love that again and to have that experience again. “I cannot think too much about that. I have to just stay focused and do the best I can here and see what happens.” The Kirkcaldy-born attacker began his professional career with Nottingham Forest, enjoying a brief loan spell with Celtic in 2019. Burke is widely known for his Bundesliga stints; his CV is littered with top clubs, including RB Leipzig, Werder Bremen, and now Union Berlin. His 13 million pound fee to join Leipzig was a Scottish record at the time. Burke recalled the whirlwind nature of this transfer. “I was young, the price tag, I didn’t really know too much about it,” he remembered. “I didn’t really understand it so much at that age. As I got older, it started to weigh a little bit. “In football, everything happens quickly. You have your good moments, and then there can be bad moments. “It’s been kind of like this throughout my career. Many ups and many downs.” Burke has 13 appearances for the National side, and was part of the squad which defeated Serbia to reach the first European Championship since 1998. Steve Clarke has predominantly favoured the likes of Lyndon Dykes, Lawrence Shankland, and Che Adams across his tenure, but could the manager be tempted by Burke’s Bundesliga form?

Steve Clarke will hold talks regarding his future with the Scottish FA in March. Speaking on Sky Sports, Clarke advised he had been “really busy” with Scottish FA CEO Ian Maxwell, as Scotland prepare for their first world cup apperance since 1998 in America. “Hopefully, we will do it by March, and hopefully we’ll have a little discussion on those matters. For me at the minute, it’s just about making sure the preparation is right, and everyone’s ready to go to the World Cup. The autumn can take care of itself. The 62-year-old led the National Team to back-to-back Euros before qualifying for the world stage after a historic 4-2 victory over Denmark. The manager was quizzed about a possible domestic return, stating, “It depends on which club! The Scotland job has been great for me; it will be coming up to seven years in the summer. Three qualifications and a really good bunch of players. “We’ve grown well and learned how to get to tournaments. I’ve enjoyed it as much as you can enjoy any managerial job these days, as there’s a lot of media attention now, and you see managers getting sacked left, right and centre. “So for me, it’s just about enjoying this moment, seeing what happens. If a decent job came up and I was available, and I hadn’t signed a contract with the SFA, you never know.” Clarke will announce his squad for friendlies against Japan and Côte d’Ivoire in the coming weeks as excitement builds for the Tartan Army.