STAYING POWER
Clarke’s only focus is Euro 2020
STEVE CLARKE has stressed his complete commitment to steering Scotland to Euro 2020 in the wake of recently being linked with a return to club management.
Stoke City were understood to have placed Clarke on a list of candidates prior to securing the appointment of Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill last week.
The ex-Kilmarnock boss admitted it is always flattering to be connected to other jobs and joked about being lured away by Real Madrid. However, despite an often awkward six months leading the national team, he made it clear that building momentum for March’s Euro 2020 play-offs was his sole ambition.
Speaking ahead of today’s game with Cyprus in Nicosia, the 56-year-old was asked about his reaction to the Stoke link.
‘How did I react? I read the paper, then I got on with my job here,’ replied Clarke.
‘If you get linked with a job, then it means you are either doing something right or you’ve done something right before. It is always good to get linked but this is my job and I am 100-per-cent committed to getting Scotland to Euro 2020.
‘You can never categorically say anything as you never know what could happen in life. Real Madrid might tempt me!
‘But do I feel this is the start of something here? Absolutely.
‘We’re trying to get to the Euros and that is my main objective in the first part of my Scotland career. If I get that long, sometimes it’s taken out of your hands!’
Clarke confessed he was still
adapting to the irregular work patterns of leading a national side after so long in the club game. ‘It’s a different job,’ he added. ‘It’s going to take a little bit of time before I get used to being an international manager. ‘There’s still a lot of me that wants to be out working on the training pitch every day. That’s what I do best. ‘But I’ll get better. Different can be perceived as difficult, but it’s just different. I’ll find a way to make it work.’ Steven Naismith is set to captain Scotland against Cyprus on the occasion of his 50th cap, providing the Hearts forward does not suffer any late reaction to training. Aberdeen centreback Scott McKenna will also feature after missing the last two double-headers due to injury, with club-mate Mikey Devlin likely to feature alongside him. Clarke’s squad has been hit by injury call-offs from Andy Robertson, Scott McTominay, Ryan Fraser and Liam Cooper, while Arsenal asked for Kieran Tierney to be left out. As Sportsmail revealed,
Newcastle winger Matt Ritchie has also confirmed his international retirement — not that Clarke seemed overly upset. ‘He’s never been picked by me,’ he added. ‘Matt was one of a number of players I spoke to when I got the job in May, but he’s announced his retirement in November.’