CLARKE GIVES SCOTS A NEW FINALS GOAL

Scotland

Hampden Park 7.45pm SCOTLAND boss Steve Clarke has called on his team to prove they are no “one-tournament wonders.”

The Scots (training, above) will end a 23-year absence from the big stage at this summer’s Euro 2020 finals but the focus is on the World Cup as Clarke’s men begin their qualifying campaign against Austria tonight.

Clarke (below) said: “The squad is focused completely on the World Cup games because they are the most important ones. We have said almost since we qualified for the Euros that we don’t want to be one-tournament wonders.

“We want to have a continued period of success – and that starts against Austria at Hampden.”

Clarke lost Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack to an ongoing calf problem on Monday but has the likes of John Fleck and Kenny Mclean as alternatives, while Scott Mctominay could move forward into his natural midfield position.

“We lost Ryan Jack but we sort of pre-empted that so we are in good shape,” Clarke said.

“It is a blow for us because he has done well for us and he plays a certain position in midfield that without him we don’t really have.

“So we will miss him but we have got a really good squad now, so it’s time for someone else to step forward.

“The little time we have had on the training pitch has been really good work, high quality,

v Austria

so hopefully we can take that on to the pitch.”

Andy Robertson believes maintaining virtual contact has ensured Scotland are ready to hit the ground running.

But the Liverpool fullback also feels the bond they developed in beating Serbia in the Euro 2020 play-offs has ensured the feelgood factor and spirit remain intact.

Robertson said: “With us qualifying in November we then had momentum and it maybe came at the worst international month for that, because you wait another four or five months to play another game. But you could see the boys walking in on Monday with a big smile on their faces, ready to pull on a Scotland shirt again.

“That’s what we have tried to create.

“The feelgood factor is still there in training and the hotel but it’s about taking that onto the pitch and that has always been the difficult thing.

“But it’s something we have done over the last couple of international breaks. The mindset and goals of all the players is pretty clear.

“You can see that just walking into a room with them all, they are all driven individuals which helps a driven team.

“And that’s credit to the manager and the coaches, as soon as they have come in they have tried to get that across to us and we have all bought into that.

“Over the four or five months of not seeing each other it was important we kept in contact, and we all did.”