Clarke is not distracted by lack of fans

STEVE CLARKE believes the prospect of his Scotland players creating history will not become lost in an empty Hampden next week. The national team manager yesterday named a 26-man squad to face Israel in the semifinal of the Euro play-offs, plus Slovakia and the Czech Republic in the Nations League. Clarke had hoped that at least some fans would be allowed into the arena to cheer Scotland on towards their first major finals in 23 years. But with government restrictions on social distancing tightening last week, all three games will be played behind

closed doors. Adamant that the sense of occasion will still not escape his players, however, Clarke said: ‘It’s one that’s been building for a long time. It’s been on the cards for over a year now — we always knew this game was going to be the big one. ‘So finally it’s almost here and I think the players are looking forward to it because they’ve had such a long wait and the tension has been building all the time. ‘It’ll be nice to finally prepare for the game and then get to play it. ‘It’s definitely not ideal but it’s one of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the situation we all find ourselves in.’ Originally scheduled for March 26, the game was heading for a sell-out until Covid-19 wreaked havoc with sporting schedules across the world. Now faced with the prospect of playing the biggest game in a generation at an empty venue, Clarke conceded that the lack of vocal backing from the Tartan Army was concerning. ‘I think players in general, not just our group, like to perform in front of a crowd,’ he said. ‘It’s probably no different to an actor or actress in the theatre. The reason you want to be on the stage or on the pitch is to perform in front of people. ‘Football without fans can be difficult. Listen, there’s been a lot of good, exciting games behind closed doors but without the fans and the passion they bring, it’s just not the same. ‘We miss that. But we have to make sure we are intense because we understand the magnitude of the game and what it means to everybody. We are all determined to make sure we get the right result.’ Clarke has called up Ryan Porteous for the first time in almost a year after the Hibs defender’s impressive start to the season. Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack also gets the call despite not playing for his club since September 12 due to injury, while Oli McBurnie and Lawrence Shankland are back in the fold having missed out through injury last time. Celtic’s James Forrest is omitted due to an ankle injury, although Newcastle winger Ryan Fraser returns. Insistent he has no concerns over any leftovers between the Rangers players and Porteous following a spicy recent draw at Easter Road, Clarke said: ‘That won’t be an issue. All the guys are professional.’