Scotland face Denmark at Hampden tomorrow evening, knowing victory will take them to the 2026 World Cup, and Steve Clarke admits that the showdown game was “always the scenario we had in our heads”.
Speaking with the media on Monday afternoon, Clarke spoke of the “trust” he has in his players and squad,
“Way back at the start, I said we didn’t have enough experience, we didn’t have enough caps in the squad. Now we’ve got enough caps and experience, and hopefully that, allied to the talent in the group, that experience can be vital”
“The lads seem to be in pretty good spirits. Everyone is in a good place”.
The Scots have not qualified for a World Cup since 1998. They reached the playoff round for Qatar 2022, but were dismantled by an inspired Ukrainian side at Hampden.
“The players understand the magnitude of the game, but they just have to prepare for a game of football and make sure they are focused on how we want to play and on what Denmark might do”.
“If they go out and play as they can, then I believe they are good enough to get the result we need”.
The Danish challenge on Tuesday evening may be the most vital of Clarke’s tenure; he described the pivotal match as a “cup final”.
“In football, sometimes things don’t go your way. The most important thing in a qualifying campaign is points.”
“We were drawn as a pot three team, but we are already in second place. We want to go one step further and finish top of the group.”
Team-wise, Clarke confirmed that Billy Gilmour would not feature; a groin problem has ruled the Napoli midfielder out of proceedings. He remains the only player to miss out, with Clarke advising that “Everyone else is fit and ready to go”.
Despite accumulating ten points in their opening five group matches, Hampden jeered parts of Scotland’s victories over Greece and Belarus last month. Clarke urged that the Tartan Army should stick with his side on Tuesday evening,
“We probably need them more in the difficult moments. If we all work together, we can make it a great night for the country.”
Clarke has led Scotland to back-to-back European Championships and hopes that his team can deliver once again.
“The players have shown they know how to qualify for tournaments, so let’s qualify for another one”
Scotland v Denmark
Hampden
Tuesday 18 November 7:45pm
